The Ghana Air Force in collaboration with the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces has constructed a helipad at the Regional Office of the Bank of Ghana at Safewi Boko in the Western North Region of Ghana to enable the currencies to be airlifted.
On Thursday, 16 March 2023, in a small ceremony, the Air Force and 48 Engineer Regiment handed over the newly constructed helipad bank.
The helipad is expected to boost the bank’s currency movement operations in the western part of the country by airlifting currencies from Accra to Safewi Boko.
The handing over ceremony was witnessed by officers from the Bank, Ghana Air Force and 48 Engineer Regiment officers.
The Bank’s team was led by Wing Commander Kwame Asare-Boateng (Retd), Director of the Bank’s Security Department, Nana Buabeng of the Corporate Management Services Department and the Regional Manager of the Safewi Boko Office.
On behalf of the Governor, Wg Cdr Asare-Boateng, on behalf of the bank, commended the Ghana Air Force, 48 Engineers Regiment and other stakeholders for helping to construct the helipad in record time.
He indicated that the helipad would enable the bank to safely transport the currencies to the Safeway Boko without any attack on the bank’s bullion vans.
The Air Force and 48 Engineer Regiment were represented by Air Cadre CNA Mills and Lt Col Albert Takei.
background:
Following the November 2019 crash of a Bank of Ghana bullion van in Techiman, Bono East region of Ghana, the management of the Bank of Ghana set up a committee to investigate the circumstances of the accident and make recommendations to improve currency circulation operations . in country.
Among other recommendations, the committee suggested the bank’s management to explore other means of distribution of currencies across the country. Based on the report of the committee, the bank engaged the Ghana Air Force on the possibility of airlifting the currencies to some of its regional offices in the country.
The engagement signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Air Force, which mandated the Air Force to start lifting currencies from Accra to Tamale in late 2020.
After successfully lifting currencies through the Tamale-Accra route, the two institutions embarked on ways to extend the services to other regional offices.
Based on the foregoing, the idea of building a helipad developed.