Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, has in the 2019 budget statement announced that government will be investigating massively in road, railways and air transport, from a variety of funding sources.
As it is often done in many budget presentations, the Minister gave a tall list of roads to be constructed in almost all ten regions of the country.
As usual, many roads that have never been completed despite receiving mention in previous budget presentations were mentioned again.
“Mr. Speaker, 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. Mr. Speaker, this Government, is committed to embarking on an integrated infrastructural development programme across the country that will move goods, food items and people from one location to another that 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, 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. 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. Mr. Speaker, in addition to the above, in 2019 Government in partnership with the private sector through PPP arrangements will undertake various projects including Accra–Takoradi Highway Dualisation, Accra – Tema Motorway and Accra – Kumasi Highway Dualisation.”
Railway Sector
The Minister said on the development of Railway infrastructure, government, in 2018, commenced the rehabilitation of the existing 56 km narrow gauge line from Kojokrom to Tarkwa through Nsuta corridor to restore passenger rail and freight services for the first time since 2007. This will be completed in 2019.
He said work also commenced on rehabilitation works on the 70.8km narrow gauge sections of the Eastern Railway Line from Accra to Nsawam and Accra to Tema. He noted that the Achimota to Tema section is 90 percent complete, and Achimota to Accra Central and Achimota to Nsawam will be completed by end of 2018.
Rehabilitation will continue to Koforidua in 2019, he added.
“Mr. Speaker, the following feasibility studies commenced and will be pursued in 2019: a. rail link on BOT basis between the Tema Port and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; b. Development of Metro / Light Rail Transit Systems in Accra and Kumasi such as the recently signed Accra Sky Train project; c. Trans-ECOWAS line from Aflao through Cape Coast to Elubo; and d. Re-development of the Central Line from Kotoku in the Greater Accra Region to Huni Valley in the Western Region. Mr. Speaker, the Railway Location Workshop, also at Essikado, is being modernized and equipped, and will be completed in 2019 to become a one-stop workshop to serve the railway, mining, petroleum and agricultural industries. We are confident, 2019 will witness the relaunch of the railway system in Ghana.”
On air transport, he said cabinet has approved a PPP arrangement for a national airline which should begin operations in 2019.
He also mentioned the expansion of airports in Tamale and Kumasi, as well as the expansion of the Takoradi and Tema Ports, and the construction of a fishing port at Elmina in the Central Region.
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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie|citinewsroom.com|Ghana
The post #GHBudget: We’ll invest heavily in road, other infrastructure – Ofori-Atta appeared first on Citi Newsroom.
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