The Deputy Transport Minister, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, has won the “Best Performing Deputy Minister Award” at the 6th Ministers of State Excellence Honours, held in Accra.
The award was received with applause from the crowd which had gathered at the event on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
They chanted “Mbaa Noaa” as the deputy minister, who is also the member of Parliament for Jomoro Constituency in the Western Region, mounted the podium to receive the award.
Madam Affo-Tiffey after receiving the award said “I am deeply humbled to receive the Best Deputy Minister Award at the Ministers of State Excellence Honors”.
“This recognition is not a personal achievement alone; it is a testament to the collective efforts of the dedicated team at the Ministry of Transport, the confidence reposed in me by H.E. the President, and the support, prayers, and trust of Ghanaians especially my beloved constituents”.
She said “As we continue to advance Ghana’s transport sector through impactful policies, infrastructure development, and improved service delivery, this honor serves as both an encouragement and a reminder that our work is far from complete”.
“I dedicate this award to the people of Ghana and give all glory to Almighty God, whose grace continues to guide this journey”.
The Jomoro MP said “The best is yet to come”.
Some of her achievements at the transport ministry as the deputy minister were the retooling of the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) and the improvement of the public transport system.
Visit to Egypt
She visited Egypt to make arrangements for 300 buses to be procured for the MMTL to ease pressure on the citizens during rush hours in the cities.
The 29-seater buses form part of a planned fleet of 300 vehicles expected to boost capacity, reduce congestion, and improve reliability within the public transport system.
The intervention comes amid growing pressure on the sector, with commuters facing long queues, rising fares, and frequent breakdowns of existing buses.
Currently, 100 of these buses have come and have been handed over to the MMTL for onwards deployments.
The buses have been deployed, awaiting the 200 from Egypt to augment the fleet of MMTL.
Visit to China
Madam Affo-Toffey again led a high-level delegation to China as part of government efforts to modernise Ghana’s public transport system and expand the national fleet with advanced, environmentally friendly vehicles.
The delegation visited the industrial city of Shiyan alongside officials from the Ministry of Transport and MMTL.
During the visit, the delegation toured Xiangyang Tenglong Automobile Co., Ltd, a major automobile manufacturing firm known for producing new energy buses and intelligent transport systems.
The trip formed part of a broader government agenda to improve public transportation in Ghana through strategic international partnerships.
The engagement was to explore opportunities for acquiring modern buses and building technical partnerships that will help improve efficiency, safety, and reliability in Ghana’s transport sector.
The visit further allowed the Ghanaian team to inspect Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) smart electric buses in Suzhou, which are designed for high-capacity urban transport and reduced emissions.
The government is seeking to assess the suitability of such vehicles for Ghana’s road infrastructure and operational conditions as part of ongoing efforts to improve urban mobility and reduce pressure on existing transport systems.
Ghana’s public transport sector, particularly state-owned MMTL, has in recent years faced challenges, including an ageing fleet, operational inefficiencies, and growing demand in major cities.
Dorcas Affo-Toffey expands China visit to tourism.
While in China, even though the Deputy Minister for Transport and Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, was there for transportation, she led the high-level Ghanaian delegation to China’s tourism sector.
Beyond engagements in the transport sector, the visit also focused on strengthening cooperation in tourism, arts, culture, education, and technology.
As part of the visit, Madam Affo-Toffey and the delegation toured the International Culture Center and the Hand-In-Hand International Culture Exchange Fund to explore partnership opportunities and seek support from the Chinese government in several development areas.
Established in 2011, the centre specialises in international cultural exchange and project cooperation. Over the years, it has built extensive international partnerships and facilitated cultural, educational, scientific, and technological collaborations across several countries.
According to officials of the centre, Hand-In-Hand has provided services to more than 5,000 senior officials from over 150 countries through programmes linked to the International Defence College of the National Defence University in China. The organisation has also partnered with institutions such as Tsinghua University and supported the establishment of international cooperation platforms in Beijing.
The centre has further undertaken research and investment promotion initiatives in collaboration with major Chinese institutions, including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Officials disclosed that the organisation has developed an investment database covering more than 4,000 enterprises to support industrial investment promotion and facilitate strategic partnerships.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
