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The Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has disclosed that revenue leakages at Ghana’s sea ports have reached alarming levels that must be halted immediately by cutting down on the number of workers.

According to him, the current port systems have created favorable conditions for bribery and corruption, attracting many people to seek non-existing jobs there.

Speaking at a conference in Accra aimed at enhancing efficiency at the ports, Dr. Bawumia maintained that government is going to roll out a firm policy to cut down on the number human interactions that foster corruption at the ports.

“Since we’ve come to office, one of the things that I have noticed is when everybody comes to ask me for a job, I say well where do you want to work, number one answer, port. Without fail, I want to go to the port. What is in the port, what really is there? Am I missing something, everybody wants to work in the port,” he lamented.

Dr. Bawumia stated that the perception of making quick money at the port is so rooted in the public sector such that almost all the agencies that do some exercise at border posts want their personnel transferred to the ports.

“Even the people working in customs they come to me and say they want a transfer, where do you want to go , I want to go to the port, there must be something that is happening there, and if people are making additional revenues then it means government is not getting those revenues,” he said.
“So we are going to look at this systems, this human interfaces, how do we really get this automation going.

Looking at our situational analysis initially, leaning from others what others are doing , Reducing the human interface , blocking the revenue leakages, this is are really all the major topics that the government is really interested in and hopefully we will come out with an agenda for action and recommendation that we will present to President Akufo-Addo and some decisions can be taken” he assured.

Dr. Bawumia maintained that it is important to remove the human interface since that will be the only means to reduce corrupts acts at port to encourage businesses to grow.

The conference which was held in Accra brought together major stakeholders in the sea transport industry.