Akufo-Addo has pumped more into rail project than past gov’ts of 16 years – Amewu

Government will, from next week, resume the final phase of negotiations on the Ghana-Burkina Faso railway connectivity project.

The project is expected to see the construction of 1,110 km of railway lines linking Ghana and its neighbours.

This third phase of bilateral engagements is expected to work out issues relating to the actual commencement date of the implementation of the project and for both parties to harmonise tax and customs regimes for the project.

The Minister of Railways Development, Mr John Peter Amewu, who was on a working visit to inspect ongoing works on the Tema-Akososmbo Railway project on Tuesday, 13 April 2021, revealed that officials from Ougadougou will return to the table on 22 April to address all outstanding matters for construction works to commence.

“We visited Burkina three weeks ago to lay down the framework. We’ve gone very far. We’re now at the third phase where we are asking for proposals.

“Three companies have been shortlisted for that section and immediately we complete the process for proposals, we expect construction to start the following year; in the first quarter in 2022, we expect construction to commence,” he said.

Mr Amewu further explained that it is part of moves to reinforce President Akufo-Addo’s transformational vision of the railway sector.

He added: “The President mentioned in his inaugural address and the State of the Nation Address his vision for the industry. We need to revamp the industry. The railway sector has been left in a state that nobody can talk about so this government’s agenda is to revamp it quickly.

“What this government has done within these four years, in terms of the expenditure combined, is far more than the 16 years in the previous governments’ expenditure combined”.

“I am not exaggerating; the records are there for everyone to see. People who are in the industry really admit it. The capital injection we put in for these four years is in excess of the capital injection in the industry in the past 16 years, so, it tells you the vision of the government”.

---classfm