President Mahama inspects/inaugurates projects at KIA

By George-Ramsey Benamba, GNA
Accra, Aug. 1, GNA - President John Dramani Mahama on Monday said the National Petroleum Authority would soon reduce the prices of aviation fuel by 20 per cent to encourage more international airlines to purchase their fuel from Ghana.

He said the agreement was as a result of complaints from most of the international airlines that Ghana's aviation fuel prices were higher than most of her competitors.

"As a result most of the airlines prefer to buy their fuel in other countries rather than Ghana, a situation that is making us to lose a lot of money from the sale of the fuel."

President Mahama, who inaugurated two projects and inspected on-going construction works at the Kotoka International Airport, said the reduction in price of the aviation fuel would increase the Internally Generated Funds of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority as more airlines would buy their fuel in Ghana.

The projects the President inaugurated were the International Arrival Tunnel and the Ghana Aviation Training Academy (GATA) which were both constructed as part of the airport expansion project.

President Mahama also inspected the completed expansion works at the Visa on Arrival Facility, Passenger Transit Facility, Data Centre, Arrival Baggage Reclaim Facility and the Customs Division all at the International Arrival Hall of the airport.

He also inspected on-going construction works of a new terminal project complex at the airport.

At the inauguration of GATA, President Mahama said the expansion projects were in accordance with government's resolve to upgrade the KIA to meet international airport standards.

He challenged the board, management and staff Ghana Civil Aviation Authority to institute measures that would make GATA to stand out as the best training academy in Africa and beyond, by introducing international training ethics and standards that would attract more trainees.

President Mahama expressed satisfaction about the expansion projects at the International Arrival Tunnel as it would reduce the hitherto long queues that were found in the past at the facility.

He charged the airport authorities to develop maintenance culture to ensure a long lifespan of the facilities.

Mr Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, the Minister of Transport, said the expanded projects would address shortfalls of the aviation sector and position it higher in the international realm in terms of safety standards.

He commended the board, management and staff of the Ghana Airports Company Limited and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority for the projects that were executed by their IGFs.

Mr Simon Allotey, the Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, gave the assurance that they would implement all workable measures to ensure that GATA becomes the centre of excellence in Ghana, Africa and the entire world.

GNA