Daniel Botwe speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony
The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Daniel Botwe, has cut sod for various projects in the Awutu Senya East and Agona West Municipal Assemblies in the Central Region.
The projects are being implemented through a $245 million investment by the government to provide basic urban infrastructure and improve the institutional capacity under the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme (GSCSP).
The projects being implemented under the programme include social and economic infrastructure (e.g., market structures, transport terminals, commercial facilities), storm water management (e.g., storm drains), connectivity (e.g., roads, pedestrian walkways, street lights), and waste management facilities (e.g., solid waste collection points).
Mr. Botwe said the programme which started in 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2025 involves 35 Municipal Assemblies and all 16 Regional Coordinating Councils.
He noted that the Assembly has already benefited from the first two phase of the Urban Development Grant (UDG1 & UDG2).
He added that the Assembly has benefited again from the UDG 3, 4 and 5 in addition to financial support for capacity building in urban management under the programme.
Mr. Botwe explained that the government secured US$100 million credit from the World Bank to finance the GSCSP, a government initiative supported by the International Development Association (IDA).
He said following mid-term review, an additional financing of US$145 million was approved, extending the programme completion to December 2025.
“The GoG has designed GSCSP as part of overall efforts to achieve the objectives of the National Urban Policy Framework (NUPF). The main goal of the programme is to enhance urban management and basic urban services in participating Municipal Assemblies (MAs) responsible for urban development in secondary cities,” he said.
During the Sod-cutting ceremony, the Minister for Local Government and Decentralization urged committee members in the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly to ensure value for the money provided.
The ceremony also saw the presence of the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hawa Koomson, who appealed to the Minister for Local Government to consider upgrading Awutu Senya to a Metropolitan area.
Jamila Akweley Okertchiri