Road Improvement Initiative must succeed

Road infrastructure is a vital indicator of a nation's economic growth, and in many developing countries, investment in road transport accounts for a significant portion of public expenditure. 

Road infrastructure serves as the skeletal framework of a society. In Ghana, it is a key focus area under the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda.

As the dominant mode of transportation in the country, accounting for approximately 94 per cent of freight tonne-miles and 97 per cent of passenger miles, road transport has been identified as a catalyst for wealth creation.

Developing road infrastructure provides opportunities for people to access various economic and social resources, facilitates the movement of people, goods and services, and offers complementary services to all sectors of the economy, including tourism, mining, health, trade, education, agriculture and energy. However, road infrastructure projects are capital-intensive and often consume a substantial percentage of the national budget.

As a result, the country still faces significant road and infrastructural deficits. This is mainly because the government bears the primary responsibility for financing road infrastructure development, relying on three main funding sources: the Consolidated Fund, the Ghana Road Fund and donor funds.

The Consolidated Fund is replenished through taxes, fees, charges and government revenue from economic activities. Overall, the country’s infrastructure funding gap remains substantial, with the World Bank estimating that the country requires at least $2.5 billion annually for the next decade to address its infrastructural needs.

Regarding the road sector, the Ministry of Roads and Highways indicates that out of the estimated road network of 94,203 kilometres nationwide, only 44 per cent are good, 34 per cent are fair, and the remaining 22 per cent are poor roads.

 That is why we at the Daily Graphic are excited about the launch of the ambitious District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) by the government, which is a significant step towards enhancing road infrastructure development in the country.

The DRIP, launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, is designed to empower the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) with the requisite resources and equipment necessary to rehabilitate and maintain roads within their respective jurisdictions.

 It involved the commissioning of a fleet of 2,240 units of road construction equipment to decentralise development and ensure that every corner of the country benefits from good road infrastructure under the programme.

The equipment includes motor graders, backhoes, bulldozers, tipper trucks, concrete mixers, water tankers, concrete mixers, and low beds. Each of the metropolitan, municipal, and districtassemblies has a four-member committee made up of technical experts to oversee the implementation of the programme.

The Daily Graphic considers the initiative laudable and commends the government for making an effort to make decentralisation a reality. The programme shows a clear demonstration of the government's determination to empower local authorities with the needed resources to effect meaningful change in their communities.

This year, the government has so far invested over GH¢10 billion in road infrastructure development, according to the Minister of Finance, Mohammed Amin Adam. It has also completed a total of 12,830 kilometres of roads across the country from 2017 to date. In spite of these achievements, some roads in rural communities are in a deplorable condition, thereby retarding economic development. Some communities have no access to good roads to cart goods from farms to marketplaces.

The DRIP is a major milestone towards boosting road connectivity and promoting decentralisation at the local level. Improving the road network will ensure that citizens, no matter where they live, will be connected to the services they require to survive.

The Daily Graphic urges the committees responsible for the implementation of the DRIP to stay focused on their mandate to ensure high standards and accountability and thwart every effort by any individual or politicians to use the programme to promote their selfish gains. The DRIP is a novelty that must be sustained, and every effort should be made to ensure that the programme succeeds.