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22.01.2015 Business & Finance

AFD Provides €40m To Local Gov’t

By Daily Guide
AFD Provides 40m To Local Govt
22.01.2015 LISTEN

Agence Francaise Development (AFD), under the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP), is providing 40 million Euros (GH¢160 million) in concessionary loans and a grant of 0.5 million to the Government of Ghana to support the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to identify and finance priority investments projects in four Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

Amelie July, Resident Manager of AFD disclosed this during the presentation of two meat vans at a brief ceremony at the forecourt of the Ministry yesterday in Accra.

Ms July said the GUMPP programme was part of the continuous support from France to the MLGRD to enhance the decentralization process, strengthen the capacity of MMDAs and make more investment resources available to them to improve the lives of the people.

She further explained that urban development and support to Local Governments were crucial to the government of France.

She said besides a similar support from the French Embassy, AFD has over the last 10 years supported Ghana in its decentralization process to the tune of 230 million Euros (GH¢920 million).

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Julius Debrah, in a remark, said the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP) was intended to, among others, increase investments in infrastructure, improve planning and revenue mobilization leading to financial autonomy of the beneficiary cities.

Julius Debrah stated that GUMPP would ensure effective service delivery within the participating MMDAs.

The minister said the participating MMDAs, as part of their PIPs, would deliver key infrastructure including markets, light industrial parks, social centres and facilities to improve sanitation.

As part of plans to improve urban service delivery, he said his outfit would present two Toyota vans to the Tamale and Ho Municipal assemblies for their abattoirs.

By Solomon Ofori

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