The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, says the government intends to migrate the Ashaiman–Atimpoku road project onto the Big Push Programme to ensure its timely completion.
According to the Minister, the decision is aimed at addressing delays associated with loan financing, particularly challenges with the disbursement of funds, despite the completion of bilateral arrangements.
Speaking during an early-morning inspection of the ongoing construction works, Mr Agbodza explained that the proposed arrangement would see the government take over the funding of the project using domestic resources.
He was quick to clarify that the proposed change would not affect the existing contract or the scope of work but would only involve a change in the project’s source of funding.
The Minister noted that the government had attempted to sustain the project under its existing financing arrangement for about a year without achieving the desired progress.
He said the same funding policy was being considered for other major road projects, including the Tema–Aflao and Bawku–Bolgatanga–Pulmakom roads, as part of efforts to accelerate infrastructure development.
Mr Agbodza attributed the government’s ability to consider financing the projects with domestic resources to what he described as improved economic management under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.
He expressed optimism that the new funding arrangement would help contractors maintain their programmes and complete the projects on schedule.
The Ashaiman–Atimpoku road forms part of the major road infrastructure projects being undertaken to improve connectivity and ease transportation along the Eastern Corridor.
Story by ; Belinda Anim-Piesie
