By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, July 31, GNA–Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, the Minister of Finance, says the Government has invested over GHc10 billion in road infrastructure development alone since January 2024.
He said the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration had made massive investments in road networks, railways, and air transport infrastructure development since assuming office in 2017 to improve domestic trade and ensure efficient movements of goods and services.
Dr Amin Adam made this known during the commissioning of 2,240 units of earth-moving equipment and ancillary tools for the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Accra on Wednesday.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commissioned the construction equipment at a colourful ceremony at the Black Star Square in Accra.
The handing-over of the construction equipment to the MMDAs falls under an initiative christened the District Road Network Improvement Programme (DRIP) to improve the conditions of road networks across the country.
The Minister said the DRIP initiative represented a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance road infrastructure development in Ghana.
“The road network is the backbone of our economy, connecting communities, facilitating trade, and ensuring that essential services reach every corner of our country,” Dr Amin Adam stated.
The minister said the DRIP-2024 initiative was a testament to the Government’s commitment to creating a more connected and prosperous future for all citizens.
The programme, he said, would not only improve the quality and safety of the country’s roads but would also create numerous job opportunities, stimulate local economies, and contribute to the overall development of the local assemblies.
“By investing in our infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for sustained economic growth and social progress,” Dr Adam added.
Meanwhile, some 2, 240 units of earth-moving equipment were handed over to the 261 MMDAs for road construction, upgrading and rehabilitation works.
The equipment, comprised of bulldozers, rollers, graders, tipper trucks and water tankers, is expected to create 10,000 jobs for auto mechanics, operators, technicians, and drivers across the country.
The initiative is under the supervision of the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development in collaboration with the ministries of Roads and Highways and Finance and District Assemblies Common Fund.
Mr Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, said the road equipment handed over to the MMDAs was unprecedented in the country’s history.
“This is the biggest effort ever in the nation’s history in empowering the MMDAs to carry out timely and efficient maintenance of roads within their jurisdictions,” Mr Korsah stated
He believed that the equipment and other ancillary tools would improve the conditions of road networks in rural and urban areas to ensure the mobility of goods and services.
The Minister noted that a good road network and its linkage to socio-economic activities would deepen trade and accessibility to basic services.
The Minister said the Government had set up a stringent monitoring and compliance mechanism to ensure proper use of the equipment and avert their misuse.
The Minister underscored the need for cooperation among the implementing partner institutions to ensure proper utilisation and management of the equipment.
GNA