Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe says government is putting in place the necessary arrangements with the concessionaire handling the Boankra Inland Port project to ensure its early completion.

Addressing Parliament on Thursday, the Minister disclosed that phase one of the facility is 83 per cent complete, while work on the second phase is progressing steadily.

According to him, phase two will cover several components, including external boundary road works, construction of sewer lines, transit facilities, referral stations and other civil works. He revealed that overall progress on phase two currently stands at 50.54 per cent.

Mr Nikpe noted that it would be difficult to provide specific timelines for completion and did not confirm whether the port would be ready in 2026. However, he assured Parliament that government would provide all the necessary support to the concessionaire to ensure the project is delivered.

In 2022, the concessionaire - Ashanti Ports Services Limited - a joint venture of Afum Quality Limited of Ghana and DSS Associates of Korea, assured President Nana Akufo-Addo of a first quarter 2024 completion of the $330 million project. At the time, the project had been on the drawing board for about 18 years, having been in the pipeline since the days of government of President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Cutting the sod for the construction of the port on November 5, 2020, Akufo-Addo explained that the Boankra Inland Port project was initiated to provide service to importers and exporters in the middle and northern parts of the country.

Now, with President John Mahama in power, stakeholders are following keenly to see the potential completion of the ambitious project.