Germany Dedicates 48m Euros To Road Sector

The German Government supported Ghana's road sector to the tune of 48 million euros in the 2003 and 2004 financial years.

Thirty one million euros out of the amount was for development co-operation, while 17 million euros was spent on technical co-operation.

This was made known at a meeting between the minister of road transport, Dr. Richard Anane, and the counsellor for Central and West Africa of the Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development of Germany, Dr. Andres Pfeil, in Accra on Tuesday.

The meeting was to give the German Government firsthand information on how funds provided for development projects in Ghana were being utilized and how best it could support the nation in subsequent years.

Ghana and Germany are expected to sign the next bilateral agreement in May this year.

Dr Anane briefed Dr Pfeil on work done so far on various ongoing projects being financed by the German Government, such as the Tema-Sogakope and the Sogakope-Akatsi roads.

He said the Tema-Akatsi Road was about 69 per cent completed, as against the scheduled 70 per cent at the end of February 2005, because of the extension of time which was the result of a review of specifications.

He appealed to the German Government to help in funding some of the proposed new projects, which include the Achimota-Ofankor, Tetteh Quarshie-Madina and Tetteh Quarshie-Mallam roads.

Dr Anane said the Government and people of Ghana were appreciative of the support given to the nation by Germany in times past and what it was still doing, adding that Ghanaians would be glad if the new requests would be considered.

Responding, Dr Pfeil said the German Government was committed to supporting Ghana in developing all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, governance and infrastural development.