Roads Repair Programme Creates 80,000 New Jobs

The programme to reconstruct poor portions of the roads in the country has created 80,000 jobs for Ghanaians.

Dr R. W. Anane, the Minister for Roads and Transport, who said this at the 2004 Road Sector Donors Conference held at the Busua Beach Resort, near Takoradi, in the Western Region said the government had not been discriminatory in the reconstruction exercise but ensured equity and regional balance.

The Conference is being attended by senior officials of ministries, road agencies, development partners and other interested parties in the road sector. Dr Anane said the funding support to the Road Sector Development Programme had increased from US $576.78 million in 2001 to US $983.42 million in 2003.

The minister also stated that the government would develop a national transport policy to guide future investment and programmes of the transport sector. He stressed that the policy document would address a comprehensive national transport sector strategy and ensure a sustained and focussed agenda to address the transportation needs of the country.

According to Dr Anane, the policy would also give the required framework and guidelines for a 10-year transportation master plan. The Minister further stated that the government was working with local private contractors to revamp their equipment stock.

He said the Department of Feeder Roads and some foreign partners had started a programme to train technicians from the polytechnics to be the middle-level personnel in the road sector.

The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Zhang Keyuan, said road maintenance was as important as the construction of new roads. He said the establishment of a nationwide axle load control system was essential to sound road management.