Omission of transport sector in the senchi consensus
Reading from my Facebook wall, a lot of diverse reservations have been expressed by members of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Ghana (CILT) of the Ministry of Transport on the government’s failure to incorporate the transportation sector in its communique in the Senchi consensus.
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I am, however, made to think or believe that the relegation of such an all-important sector to the background is a conspicuous manifestation of its lackadaisical approach towards the role transportation, coupled with the inevitable correlated infrastructure, plays in the socio-economic development of the Ghanaian economy.
Positive impact
It is a fact that transport and its related infrastructure has turned many economies around, placing them among highly developed polities globally. They have been able to do this because there have been pragmatic policies which have been supervised by technocrats who are ready to work despite challenges.
Singapore can always be cited as a classic illustration; A minute island with virtually no natural resources has achieved the status of developed country. Her success story is premised on the fact that the leaders anticipated the urgent necessity to develop her transport sector holistically with specific focus on maritime transportation.
Singapore has metamorphosed into a hub of global maritime activities and essentially the key distribution interface for volumes of global containerised merchandise bound for major accredited destinations across the globe. This development has invariably intensified both her GDP and GNP growth.
In contemporary times, transportation is perceived as an inevitable core component of the economy of any given sovereignty in the new millennium that seeks to be part of the emerging global market the world is witnessing now. It has often been said that there’s no sovereign state under the universe that can attain progress and prosperity without appreciating the value and the positive impact of transportation.
The movement of high volumes of global logistics from country of origin to a final destination point, the transportation of energy resources, the massive movement of people across the length and breadth of the globe including effective communication are eventually actualised due to the positive impact of transportation and its infrastructure.
One, therefore, wonders how on earth the sector could escape the due attention of the government but most specifically the Ministry of Transport of such crucial national deliberation which seeks to explore and proffer solutions, to challenges bedevilling many facets of the economy. Was it an oversight or misplaced priority? Ghanaians and a greater number of those of us in the industry demand answers.
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Observation of transport modes
Ironically, in Ghana, the various conventional modes of transport with its related infrastructure are woefully not in the best state of affairs. Of course, the sector is a capital intensive one; its prioritisation should be so fundamental to the government.
Take a quick observation at the aviation industry. As we speak now, there is not a single state commercial ‘parachute’ to be proud of not to speak of even a ‘Helicopter.’ The Maritime industry is the worst of all. There are no remnants this nation once of ocean-going vessels that made headlines in international circles in the ‘60’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s.
The defunct State Fishing Corporation, as well as Black Star Line, which provided massive employment and eventually perceived as a ‘Cash cow’ serving the interest of the masses, were regrettably ‘murdered in cold blood.’ The availability of colossal infrastructure that was naturally bequeathed to the state was regrettably disposed of by ‘powers that be’, leaving virtually nothing for posterity to reminisce.
The operationalisation and its related infrastructure with regards to rail transportation have reached ‘dead ends’ in this country of ours. The actions and inaction of those who have had the opportunity to steer the affairs of this nation have invariably defeated the purpose for which rail transport was provided. The virtual dysfunctional rail sub-sector has irrefutably contributed to the deterioration of the country’s road network.
This is because successive governments have failed to initiate prudent strategic guidelines to resource the industry hence its total collapse. It is obvious that the country’s road network is nothing to write home about looking at the rate at which globalisation is spreading like wildfire in all perspectives in this 21st century.
In the face of all these challenges, we continue to pride ourselves as a low-middle-income country and the main gateway to West Africa. As a country, we do not only have to ‘think outside the box’ but rather ‘stir the box’ for optimisation of outcomes.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that a country’s economic breakthrough definitely comes on the heels of diverse provision of transportation infrastructure. Prudent transport infrastructure is a key constituent for sustainable development.
It enhances the delivery and access to strategic social services, e.g. industry, tourism, logistics, energy, ICT, etc. The Millennium Development Goals can be achievable if only transport infrastructure is given a boost because it is the key driving force behind the realisation of essential amenities including public goods required by the masses.
In the light of this, it is the conviction of many Ghanaians that every effort must be made by the ‘powers that be’ to incorporate this very important sector into the main essential themes as an addendum to the final decision of the Senchi communique. We believe it is not too late. Even if it is, “Better late than never,” so says the adage.