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22.08.2014 Business & Finance

Gov't Begins Process To Acquire New Airline

By Daily Guide
Dzifa AttivorDzifa Attivor
22.08.2014 LISTEN

Dzifa Attivor
Ghana is expected to own its airline, as the Ministry of Transport has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PWC Ghana and the World Bank for the commencement of Technical Advisory Services.

The Technical Advisory Services would involve the undertaking of various business studies, development of plans, financial and economic models, provision of advice and the management of a procurement process, including the preparation of bidding documents, evaluation and negotiations for the engagement of a Private Sector Partner.

Sponsored by the World Bank, the process would also involve the preparation of bidding documents, evaluation and negotiations for the engagement of a Private Sector Partner with proven expertise in the airline business to partner government to establish and run the national airline would be undertaken by PWC Ghana.

Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport, speaking at the signing of an MOU on Wednesday, said the establishment of a new airline for Ghana would restore Ghana's pride in the aviation sector and also establish a reliable home-based national airline to provide regional, sub-regional and inter-continental air transport services.

Mrs Attivor said the project was in tune with government's decision to embrace the Public Private Partnership (PPP) option as an alternative financing arrangement that would ensure adequate investment in the provision and maintenance of various infrastructure and services in the country.

'Following the development of a PPP policy framework by government therefore, the Ministry of Transport has for the past few months been working closely with the Public Investment Division (PID) of the Ministry of Finance on a number of projects in the transport sector, which have been proposed to be financed through PPPs.

'Two key projects among these are the Boankra Inland Port and the Eastern Railway Line Project and the Establishment of a National Airline,' she added.

Djibrilla Issa, Lead Specialist for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, World Bank, noted that although Ghana had been able to reduce its poverty level, it has issues to address as far as its infrastructure was concerned, adding that PPP would be one of the best options to address it.

He pledged the World Bank's readiness to help Ghana develop projects, which would be beneficial to the socio-economic development of the country.

Felix Addo, Country Senior Partner, PWC Ghana, said an MOU had been signed with the Ministry of Transport for the Boankra Inland Port and the Eastern Railway Line.

He said PWC Ghana would ensure that lessons learnt in the past concerning the collapse of the previous airline would be brought to bear in the establishment of the new one.

 - GNA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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