Kofi Adda
President Akufo-Addo is expected to visit China in September 2018 to receive a loan of about $2 billion from the Chinese Government to undertake critical sanitation and water projects across Ghana.
Outgoing Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Kofi Adda, made this known to journalists on Friday in Accra when he took his turn at the Meet The Press Series organized by the Ministry of Information.
The loan agreement framework, he said, was signed between the Governments of Ghana and China last year when Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia visited the Asian nation.
He disclosed that the loan, coupled with other funding the Ministry has received since its creation in 2017, could tremendously transform the sector if applied efficiently through a strategic roadmap.
He indicated that “the Ministry is therefore set to develop this strategic roadmap that would span the short, medium and long term periods, including quick impact measures in the immediate.”
“May I draw the attention of all gathered here, and emphatically too that the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources was the only one, which in the first year of President Akufo-Addo’s government, sourced, successfully negotiated and got the approval of Cabinet and concurrence of Parliament for not one, not two and not three but four credit facilities, totaling $149 million to undertake the business of the sector,” the Minister said.
Water Projects
Mr Adda said that in 2017, water projects in Wa, Essakyir, Akim Oda and Winneba, among others, were completed.
He indicated that in addition, Cabinet memoranda to support the improvement of water supply in the country had been prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Finance for approval to execute various water projects in Yendi, Damongo, Tamale, Sekondi-Takoradi, Sunyani, Dorma-Ahenkro, Essiama, Begoro-Fanteakwa and Kpong Phase II.
According to him, 1,000 boreholes were drilled in 2017 and that another cabinet memo had been prepared for consideration on the Sogakope Lome water project
Two memoranda for the drilling and mechanization of 5,000 and 3,000 boreholes had been prepared, and the estimated costs of these proposals stand at about $1.5 billion, he added.
The Ministry, he said, has awarded contract for the drilling of 2,000 boreholes across the country.
According to him, the specific interventions include the Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation Project for six regions in the country under the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, the Upper East Water Project at Tono in Navrongo under the Ghana Water Company, Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihoods Improvement and the Nationwide SCADA Project under Ghana Water Company.
Furthermore, he indicated that the Ministry, through the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, has completed bid for the award of contracts for the drilling of boreholes with hand pumps while others would be mechanized into small town water systems.
“The Ministry itself has just awarded contracts for the drilling of some 2,000 boreholes throughout the country,” Mr Adda told journalists, adding that the Ministry has also been collaborating with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to provide stand-alone boreholes, as well as mechanized systems.
He added that plans were advanced to procure 2,000 solar pumps from an Indian manufacturer through the Indian EXIM Bank, saying all these initiatives would further help to improve water supply in the country and draw the country closer to achieving the “Water for All” objectives set by the government.
Sanitation
Touching on sanitation, he said the ministry has laid a solid foundation for the nation to become the cleanest country in Africa in line with President Akufo-Addo’s dream.
He said the Ministry faced serious financial challenges last year due to delays by the Ministry of Finance in releasing its funds on time.
The Minister said that a sanitation brigade would be launched next month to enforce sanitation laws while the Finance Minister would allocate GHC100 million to the Ministry following President Akufo-Addo’s pledge to support the sector.
By Melvin Tarlue