Ken Ofori-Atta
GOVERNMENT HAS pledged to undertake massive infrastructural projects in 2020.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who disclosed this in Parliament, Wednesday, when he delivered government’s 2020 budget statement and economic policy, said the projects would be executed under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP).
He told lawmakers that to accelerate the delivery of basic infrastructure needs of each constituency, a number of varying infrastructure projects such as culverts, small bridges, community centres, police posts, classroom blocks, markets, among others, would commence in 2020.
In keeping with government’s commitment of bettering the lives of Ghanaians across the country, the minister underscored that “these basic infrastructural facilities will help to improve the lives of the rural and peri-urban population.”
Dam Projects
He also said government had made adequate allocation to begin the construction of a dam to check the spillage from the Bagre Dam. He explained that “this project when completed will permanently end the annual flooding in the northern part of Ghana as a result of spillage of Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.”
He continued that under the ‘One Village One Dam’ project, about 200 dams had been completed, and an additional 360 were under construction.
Other Initiatives
In fulfilment of government’s promise, he added, IPEP had succeeded in procuring 307 ambulances for distribution to each constituency and all regional and teaching hospitals to enhance healthcare.
He noted that a total of 50 prefabricated grain warehouses had been constructed to reduce post-harvest losses, adding that 50 rural markets were under construction to enhance trade within local assemblies.
According to him, 1,000 sanitary facilities were also under construction to address open defecation in the country.
Furthermore, the minister intimated that a total of 181 companies had benefited from support under the ‘One District, One Factory’ programme.
He added that 12,000 start-up businesses had received training support under the Government Entrepreneurship Programme while 80 business incubation hubs had been set up across the country to build the capacity of entrepreneurs.
Assurance
He assured: “We will accelerate financing for infrastructure by actively leveraging innovative sources of finance,” adding “we are strengthening the capacity of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) to tap into global financial markets, including blended finance and sovereign wealth funds.”
BY Melvin Tarlue