The Board Chairman of the PSC Tema Shipyard, Dr George Sippa Yankey, has pledged to transform the shipyard into a world-class maritime hub capable of competing with the best in Africa and beyond.
He said despite years of neglect, the facility still held the potential not only to become one of the best on the continent but also a major foreign exchange earner for the country.
Dr Yankey made the pledge when he led members of the newly constituted board to visit the facility in Tema yesterday. The visit, which formed part of the Board’s familiarisation programme, was to enable members to assess the current state of infrastructure, evaluate ongoing rehabilitation works, and interact with management on the strategic direction of the shipyard.
Among the facilities inspected were the pump house, which is undergoing rehabilitation after being declared unfit for purpose, as well as Dock 1, where essential health and safety extensions have been installed to enhance operational safety.
The Board also toured the machine and marine shops, which had previously been threatened by deterioration and the removal of equipment but are now operational and supporting shipyard activities across key operational areas of the shipyard.
A major highlight of the visit was Dock 2, which had remained non-operational for nearly three years but was restored within weeks of the new administration. Dr Yankey noted that although the facility had suffered years of deterioration, significant progress had been made since the assumption of office by the current management.
He said the Board was encouraged by the visible improvements and emphasised that the long-term vision was to reposition the shipyard as a strategic national asset capable of earning foreign exchange through the export of maritime services, thereby complementing traditional revenue sources such as cocoa and gold.
The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Osman Suleman, explained that the dock was currently servicing vessels. This, he said, was an indication of the gradual revival of ship repair and maintenance activities at the facility.
Mr Suleman said the renewed operations had begun to yield positive outcomes, including increased vessel traffic, improved staff morale, and the creation of both direct and indirect employment through the engagement of third-party contractors.
However, he stressed that the biggest challenge confronting the shipyard remained the state of its equipment. Much of this, he explained, had exceeded its lifespan and could no longer meet the demands of modern maritime operations.
He said management was working closely with the board to explore innovative financing and procurement options to acquire modern equipment to retool the shipyard and position it competitively within the West African sub-region and beyond.
Other members of the Board expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far and pledged their full support to management to ensure the successful implementation of the transformation agenda.
FROM CLIFF EKUFUL, TEMA
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