Accra, Aug. 20, GNA – The Western Region has taken delivery of 110 pieces of road improvement equipment allocated to the region under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) to resolve road infrastructure challenges.
The equipment includes bulldozers, wheel loaders, concrete mixers, low beds, motor graders, water tankers, tipper trucks, backhoes, and rollers.
Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister, explained at the launch of the construction equipment for MMDAs at Apremdo, near Takoradi, that the President’s vision went beyond just constructing roads.
“DRIP is about creating a connected and thriving Ghana where every district, no matter how remote, feels the impact of progress. This initiative would ensure the progress and prosperity of the country at the local level,” he said.
According to the Regional Minister, DRIP was the largest investment ever made in the Local Government Sector, providing nearly 1,500 pieces of equipment to MMDAs across the country.
“This is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to improving local infrastructure by giving local authorities the tools they need to effect meaningful change in their local communities,” he said.
The DRIP project is expected to create nearly 8,000 direct jobs, stimulate local economic development, reduce post-harvest losses since farmers will have improved roads to transport their farm produce to market, and improve general service delivery across the country.
He assured the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) that the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council, with the mandate to coordinate the activities of MMDAs in the region, would closely monitor the effective utilisation of the equipment.
He said adequate preparations had been made for the maintenance of the equipment to keep roads in the district motorable.
He said 30 personnel from each MMDA would receive training on the use of the machines, noting that, in all, 420 operators and drivers would be trained for the region.
Mr. Ignatius Assah Mensah, District Chief Executive (DCE), Mpohor District Assembly of the Western Region, lauded the government for the initiative, saying, “This will bring a total transformation in the district.”
“…There are many roads in my district that are in a deplorable state, and this affects our traders because crops and vegetables, which are supposed to be transported to the markets and other urban centres, get rotten.”
The equipment, he said, had been received at the right time, adding that it would make transportation easier for all, especially traders.
GNA