Finance Minister Assures Completion Of Development Projects

Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, has said the Government is committed to completing projects commenced under the previous administration.

He said in line with the Government's commitment to completing projects commenced under the previous administration, the following ongoing projects would also be financed: Bridge on the Volta River at Volivo, Nsawam - Apedwa Road (Kwafokrom - Apedwa Road) and Bolgatanga - Bawku - Polmakom Road.

Others are Nkwanta - Oti Damanko Road, Oti Damanko - Nakpanduri Road, Berekum - Seikwa Road, Enchi - Dadieso Road, Dualisation of Ho Main Roads, Ho Bypass and Kumasi Roads and the Drainage Extension Project.

Mr Ofori-Atta made this known in his presentation of the 2019 Budget Statement and Financial Policy of the Government to Parliament on Thursday.

He said in addition to the above, in 2019, the Government, in partnership with the private sector through Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements, would undertake various projects including Accra-Takoradi Highway Dualisation, Accra - Tema Motorway and Accra - Kumasi Highway Dualisation.

On the development of Railway infrastructure, the Finance Minister said the Government, in 2018, commenced the rehabilitation of the existing 56 km narrow gauge line from Kojokrom to Tarkwa through Nsuta Corridor to restore passenger rail and freight services for the first time since 2007, which would be completed in 2019.

He said work also commenced on the rehabilitation works on the 70.8km narrow gauge sections of the Eastern Railway Line from Accra to Nsawam and Accra to Tema.

Mr Ofori-Atta noted that the Achimota to Tema section was 90 per cent complete and Achimota to Accra Central and Achimota to Nsawam would be completed by end of 2018; adding that rehabilitation would continue to Koforidua in 2019.

'The feasibility studies for the proposed 596km Greenfield Railway Line from Kumasi to Paga, popularly known as the Central Spine, has been undertaken. Phase one from Kumasi to Buipe section will commence in 2019,' he said.

He said feasibility studies had commenced and would be pursued in 2019 for the rail link on Built-Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis between the Tema Port and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Development of Metro/Light Rail Transit Systems in Accra and Kumasi such as the recently signed Accra Sky Train Project.

Others are the Trans-ECOWAS line from Aflao through Cape Coast to Elubo; and the re-development of the Central Line from Kotoku in the Greater Accra Region to Huni Valley in the Western Region.

He said the Railway Location Workshop, also at Essikado, was being modernised and equipped, and would be completed in 2019 to become a one-stop workshop to serve the railway, mining, petroleum and agricultural industries.

'We are confident 2019 will witness the re-launch of the railway system in Ghana,' he stated.