IPNEWS-Harper: President George Manneh Weah has broken ground for the construction of a petroleum storage terminal facility (PST), at the port of Harper, in Maryland county.
Commissioning the Harper Port project on Thursday, February 25, President Weah stated that the facility will enable the storage of more petroleum in Harper in line with governments agenda for continued provision of petroleum in Liberia. The facility (PST) is expected to be constructed within a period of two years at an estimated cost of US$6 million.
The Liberian leader also said that the construction of the multipurpose office complex and petroleum storage facility envisions economic viability at the Maryland Port of entry.
The project when completed, will at the same time help address the age-old constraints associated with the supply of petrol products to major southeastern counties including Maryland, River Gee, Grand Kru, Grand Gedeh.
President Weah lauded National Port Authority, Managing Director, Mr. Bill Twehway for being developmental-oriented, referencing several other major projects under his stewardship at the NPA.
The Port of Harper has had no storage facility, since the climax of the civil crisis in Liberia, thus leading to dealers in the petroleum industry to import their product from next door Ivory Coast.
President Weah: “ The construction and revitalization of the Port of Harper is necessary to ease the burden faced to import petroleum, including the supply of key commodities to the south eastern parts of Liberia.”
“While it is true that PST is constructed, it is equally important to dredge the port to enable bigger vessel to dock in.”
For his part, NPA Managing Director Bill Twehway called on the government for support in dredging the port of Harper as a key element to jumpstarting operations at the facility.
Mr. Twehway stated that the current depth limit of the harbor is 5.5 meters due to paddling of sand, cannot accommodate petroleum and other commercial vessels to dock at the Harper Port.
“Mr. President, there is a serious need to dredge this port, but NPA is not able to do it on her own, so if government through the Ministry of Finance can help us with subsidy, it will be of great help,” Twehway appealed.
Mr. Twehway added that with the dredging of the Harper port from its sorrowful depth limit of the harbor at 5.5 meters due to paddling of sand, to 10 or at least 13 meters, will enable bigger vessels to dock with the bringing in of goods and other commodities.
He described the dredging and new PST facilities is “milestone development” for the Port of Harper following years of “poor infrastructure and inactive operations.”
Twehway maintained that the project, is in keeping with government’s vision to refurbish and operationalize all ports to ensure economic viability throughout the country.
Meanwhile Harper Port Director William Wallace and Leon Nynetu of Express Oil Importation Liberia have all lauded the move by the government of Liberia to rehabilitate the Harper port facilities which will once more see the creation jobs, reduction in the prices of key commodities, including easing high cost of transportation experienced by commuters especially during the rainy season.
