Mrs Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport, on Thursday said government’s vision of transforming Ghana into a middle income level required acceleration of economic activities to enhance the increase of Gross Domestic Product.

She said the vision requires the transport sector, among other key sectors, to be well positioned in terms of infrastructure and service provision to play a pivotal role in the economic development process. Mrs. Attivor said this when she addressed members of the Board of Directors of three state institutions during the inaugural ceremony in Accra.

The institutions are the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, which has Commander G.M. Griffiths (rtd) as Chairman of its 13-member Board, the PSC Tema Shipyard, with Rear Admiral Mohammed M. Tahiru, as Chairman of the seven-member Board, and the 13-member Board of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, chaired by Brigadier General Ismael B. Quartey.

Mrs. Attivor said the Ministry of Transport had a vision to create an integrated, cost effective, safe, secure and sustainable transportation system responsible to the needs of the society.

She said it would also support the growth and poverty reduction efforts and establish a transportation system that is capable of positioning Ghana as a viable transportation hub within the West African sub-region.

Mrs. Attivor urged the Boards to take up the challenge and the trust reposed in them, and to ensure that policies and programmes of institutions in the transport sector were aligned to that of the government’s “Better Ghana Agenda”.

She said it was government’s policy to develop projects under Public/Private Partnership arrangements since government expected the various projects to pay for themselves. She urged the Boards to come out with innovative funding mechanisms to help reduce the financial burden on government.

“It is for these reasons that President John Dramani Mahama put together this team of experts to help him achieve his expected goal of raising Ghana to a full middle income status'” she said.

Mrs. Attivor urged the Boards to critically examine the social democratic nature of the regime, and formulate plans and programmes that could cater for the welfare of the people.

“The practice where the Boards virtually take over management functions should also be avoided. The Boards and Managements should rather work as a team to realisze the objectives of the institutions,” she said. She reminded the Boards that under the governance framework, they were under the supervision of the Ministry and urged them to report directly to it.

Mrs. Attivor said the State Enterprises Commission had been tasked to organise seminars and workshops on institutional governance to spell out distinct roles of the Boards and Managements to promote the effective and smooth operation of the institutions.

Commander Griffiths thanked President Mahama, the Council of State and the Minister of Transport for the confidence reposed in them by the appointments. He called for collective efforts and co-operation of all Board Members to achieve set objectives.