2020 budget: No critical road projects for Volta region - Ablakwa cries foul

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has questioned the rationale behind the omission of Volta region from the allocation of funds for critical road projects in the 2020 budget presented by the Finance Minister.

Taking to Twitter, the legislator lamented on how he and colleague MPs in the region were expected to explain to constituents for such a mishap.

“Why is provision not made in the 2020 Budget for critical road projects in the case of only the Volta Region?

How does the Akufo-Addo Administration expect, particularly, MPs from the Volta Region to explain this to our constituents,” Ablakwa post read.

Attaching the page in the copy of the budget statement read by Ken Ofori-Atta, the MP for North Tongu indicated that: “…how will Government justify this aberration in the face of the 1992 Constitution which enjoins Governments to undertake even and balanced development of all regions?”

Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta on Wednesday, November 13 presented the 2020 Budget statement to Parliament outlining the plans of the Akufo-Addo led government in the upcoming economic year.

“To get the road sector moving and contractors back to work, government will pay 80% of all contractors.

Why is provision not made in the 2020 Budget for critical road projects in the case of only the Volta Region? (See table below)

How does the Akufo-Addo Administration expect, particularly, MPs from the Volta Region to explain this to our constituents?

More fundamentally, how /1 pic.twitter.com/WS6kAsdvPb

— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) November 13, 2019

Mr. Speaker we have identified critical roads across each of the 16 regions and construction would begin on all these critical roads soon.”

In order to improve the state of roads across the country, government has themed 2020 as the ‘Year of Roads’ to aggressively tackle the situation.

“Mr. Speaker with this large number of roads to be constructed, the year 2020 can aptly be described as “The Year of Roads” along with a focus on all our flagship programmes.”

...will Government justify this aberration in the face of the 1992 Constitution which enjoins Governments to undertake even and balanced development of all regions? /2

— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) November 13, 2019