Govt to Embark on Massive Road Projects

The government has earmarked over seventy road projects for commencement across the country next year.

It says it is committed to embarking on an integrated infrastructural development programme that would move goods, food items and people from one location to another.

Ken Ofori Atta, the Finance Minister who made the disclosure yesterday at the presentation of the 2019 Budget on the Theme: “A Stronger Economy for Jobs and Prosperity” stated that the move will create jobs and prosperity and ensure value for money for Ghana as well as position Ghana as the transportation, energy and logistics hub in the region.

“Mr. Speaker, in 2019, we will invest massively in the development of road and infrastructure, from a variety funding sources and the following projects have been identified to commence in 2019”.

These include Accra Inner City Roads namely: Taifa-Burkina-Nkatia Burger-Dome Kwabenya Mosque, Christo Asafo Area Roads-Taifa Pure Water Roads, Kwabenya Fan Milk Area Road-Anyaa Adu Gyamfi Road-Anyaa, Selected Roads in Anyaa Apostle Sarfo Onyinase Road, Pentecost University Road, Omanjor to Olebu Road. Abease Road to Ablekuma, A lang Area Road and Sowotuom Race Course Medical Centre Road.

In the Ashnati Region, the Ahiankwanta-Obuasi, Ashanti Datano-Ahokwaa-Suhenso, Nyinahene – Awisesu Nyinahene – Kyekyewere Okomfo Anokye – Abuakwa road among others have also been earmarked for facelift net next year.

The government has come under harsh criticisms recently over the deplorable state of some of the country’s roads.

For now, residents of Adentan-Madina both suburbs of Accra have given the government a 10-day ultimatum to fix a seven-year-old uncompleted foot bridge in the area ore face their wrath.

Ofori Atta however insists, that road infrastructure, both hard and soft, is the backbone of economic development and growth, as well as a source of jobs and wealth for a majority of people.

“In a rapidly changing global marketplace, traditional infrastructure like electricity and power, transport and logistics, water and sanitation, roads, highways, and railways have combined with new, mostly soft infrastructure like digitization of government services to enable emerging economies like ours leapfrog the development path to prosperity.”

The finance minister adds: “Mr. Speaker, to ensure efficient management of infrastructure, we will soon submit a bill to set up the Ghana Asset Management Corporation. Mr. Speaker, with your permission I will like to inform Ghanaians on what we have done so far on infrastructure and the massive investments commencing in 2019.

Ofori Atta indicated that the NPP administration was also bent on completing projects started by the NDC government

“In line with our commitment to complete projects commenced under the previous administration, the following ongoing projects will also be financed: Bridge on the Volta River at Volivo; Nsawam – Apedwa Road (Kwafokrom – Apedwa Road; Bolgatanga – Bawku – Polmakom and Nkwanta – Oti Damanko Road.

The others are Oti Damanko – Nakpanduri Road; Berekum – Seikwa Road; Enchi – Dadieso Road; Dualization of Ho Main Roads; Ho Bypass and the Kumasi Roads and Drainage Extension Project.

By: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson