GH¢284m infrastructure projects start in phases in Central Region
Sodcutting ceremonies were held at Ofaakor-Jei River, near Kasoa, and Agona Swedru in the Central Region yesterday for the construction of infrastructure projects that will improve the socio-economic lives of the people.
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Four municipalities in the region, namely Awutu Senya East, Assin Central, Agona West and Mfantsiman, are benefitting from the projects which are being executed in phases at an estimated cost of GH¢284 million.
Additionally, the projects in a total of 35 beneficiary municipalities, including the four municipalities in the region, are to be completed by December 2025.
The phases have been designated as Urban Development Grant (UDG 1) up to UDG (5) with the current sodcutting for the beneficiary municipalities falling under UDG 3.
In the Awutu Senya East Municipality the phase three or UDG3 of the projects, to be completed within a year, are the construction of the 3.7 kilometres Ofaakor-Jei River Road with side drains and culverts as well as tarring of the road; access roads and box culverts around Akweley in Kasoa; external pavement works with pavements for Kasoa old Market; access roads at Rock City, near Kasoa.
In the Agona West Municipality, a three-storey 180 lockable stores at the Mandela Market at Agona Swedru are to be completed in three phases, together with the tarring of the Otabilkrom road, among others.
The projects followed the release of $245 million from the World Bank through the International Development Association (IDA), a development finance institution, under its basic urban infrastructure and improvement of the institutional capacity for urban management programme.
It is part of a government initiative known as the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme (GSCSP) started in 2019 and being executed and facilitated by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development(MLGDRD).
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Ceremony
Speaking at separate sodcutting ceremonies in the two towns, the sector Minister, Dan Botwe, explained that “the Awutu Senya East Municipality had already benefitted from the UDG 1 and UDG 2 projects, and was slated to benefit from the UDG 3, 4 and 5 in addition to financial support for capacity building in urban management under the programme.”
Mr Botwe said currently a number of projects in 25 municipalities had been completed in the first and second phases, and were in use in some of the beneficiary municipalities while others were ongoing.
Projects being implemented, he said, included: social and economic infrastructure such as market structures, transport terminals, commercial facilities; storm water management facilities, storm drains; roads, pedestrian walkways, street lights and waste management facilities such as solid waste collection points.
The minister said the government designed the GSCSP as part of the overall efforts to achieve the objectives of the National Urban Policy Framework (NUPF).