Govt invest $245 million in secondary cities support programme — Dan Botwe

The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Mr Daniel Botwe, has disclosed that the government is investing $245 Million to provide basic urban infrastructure and improve the institutional capacity under the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme.

He said this during a sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a storey building at the Mandela Market in Agona Swedru on Thursday.

“This programme started in 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2025. The programme involves 35 Municipal Assemblies and all 16 Regional Coordinating Councils,” he added

According to the Minster, Agona West Municipal Assembly joined the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme from its inception in 2019 and has already benefitted from the first and second phases of the Urban Development Grant (UDG1 & UDG2) and the Assembly has completed the project.

He added that the Assembly has benefited again from the UDG 3, 4 and 5 in addition to financial support for capacity building in urban management under the Programme.

Mr Botwe said the UDG-3, for the Assembly is in three phases. Phase 1 is for the construction of 3-storey lockable stores with fire post, security post, crèche and pavement of the forecourt (50mx3m at both sides) of the stores and electricity connection, water at Mandela market and resealing of 0.55 km Otabil road with minor drainage repair, ramble strips and road line marking of 0.55km, estimated at GHS 15.7m.

He noted that phase 2 of the programme would be the construction of 2-storey lockable stores with a parking lot, restaurant, sick bay, bitumen surfacing of 4.65km roads with walkways, road line marking, ramble stripes and 0.6m and diameter drains at both sides for 650m length of the road at Woraba and Yaabem, the estimated cost of the UDG-4 sub-projects is GHS 17.3m

“Phase 3 will be the completion of 2-storey lockable stores with a Police post, banking hall and pavement of the forecourt of stores and connection to electricity and water at Mandela market and Bitumen Surfacing of 1.7km Yaabem area roads with 0.6m and 0.9m diameter drains at both sides and road line marking of 1.2km with the estimated cost of GHS 17.3m,” he added.