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Government will insist on quality road construction
– Veep
Koforidua, May 28, Ghanadot/GNA - Vice
President John Dramani Mahama, on Thursday reiterated
Government’s commitment to develop the road and transportation
sectors.
However, he said government would insist on
quality and value for money on investment in those critical
areas of the economy.
Vice President Mahama made the observation at a retreat
organised by Ministry of Roads and Highways in Koforidua.
He said crucial in government’s trunk road programme was the
upgrading of the central spine road network otherwise referred
to as the central corridor and the construction of the eastern
and western corridors to link Southern Ghana with the North.
“An equally important programme that we are
committed to implementing is the construction of bridges and
culverts to provide access to farming communities and markets to
enhance economic and social activities,” he said.
Vice President Mahama pointed out that through the provision of
sound and reliable bridges and culverts, government would be
able to improve the quality of lives of its citizens “who under
the present circumstances could not market their food produce
nor access important farm inputs for increased agricultural
production”.
He expressed concern about the high spate of road accidents and
urged the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and the Driver
and Vehicle Licensing (DVLA) Authority to endeavour to arrest
the situation, while the ministry worked diligently to utilize
available funds committed by donor partners to the road sector.
Vice President Mahama said available information indicated that
over the past three years massive commitment had been made on
the financial resources of the country by the road sector.
Vice President Mahama said road projects, charged
to the consolidated fund were in excess of GH¢800 million over
the period 2009-2011.
“Also, the Road Fund has been over committed to the extent that
maintenance activities are now jeopardized until the end of the
year. Indeed on two occasions the Fund had to contract
facilities from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust
to meet its financial obligations to our local contractors,” he
said.
Vice President Mahama said the overall effects of imprudent
financial management practices were that on-going projects were
inadequately funded and therefore could not be completed as
scheduled.
Mr Joe Gidisu, Minister of Roads and Highways announced that
Ghana Highway Authority had committed over 300 projects from
2009-2011 estimated at about GH¢ 833,000,819 to be paid from the
consolidated fund at a time the budget for 2009 for the
implementation of projects was GH¢51,955,605.
“The Department of Urban Roads has similarly committed projects
over the same period to the value of GH¢263,101,600 with a
budget of GH¢11,700,000 in 2009. The Department of Feeder Roads
has a budget of GH¢10,363,113 for commitments of GH¢59,540,000,”
he said.
Mr Gidisu said the situation for maintenance of projects to be
charged to the Ghana Road Fund was equally precarious adding
that the maintenance budgets of road agencies for 2009 was
exhausted in the first quarter of the year.
“To date, records indicate that the agencies have committed
projects, some of which have been running since 2000,” he added.
GNA
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