AMA to make Accra a tourist and investor destination

Accra, July 15, GNA -Mr. Alfred Vanderpuije, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive on

Friday reiterated the Assembly's determination to create an enabling environment for

investors, tourists and the youth. This, he said, forms part of the millennium city project, transformation of Accra into a

modern city where children would be well educated, businesses flourish as social amenities

become more functional and accessible. The Mayor disclosed this when he delivered an address at the fifth Ordinary Meeting of

the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in Accra. The meeting aimed at touching on matters relating to the mission statement of the

Assembly as well as issues confronting people in the city. He noted that the objective of the Millennium city project was to seek technical and

financial support in a 93 win-win public-private partnership" to implement programmes and

projects to hasten the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) by 2015. Under the project, communities such as Chorkor, Nima, Maamobi and New Town would

be upgraded to bring about economic empowerment as a tourism revival is embarked upon

through the development of the beach front among others. On education, the mayor was glad to announce the successful abolition of the shift

system which gave students four out of eight hours of instruction time and noted that an

endowment fund launched by the AMA yielded GHC 937,357.71 and $12,8602. He said out of the figure, GHC765, 038.82 was spent on various school projects such as

temporary structures and furniture, leaving a balance of Ghc172, 318. The Mayor said to reduce the high class size in schools to between the desired 40 to 45

pupils, the AMA has embarked on a flagship programme to construct 50 three-storey 18

classroom blocks throughout the metropolis and each block would have ICT centers,

science laboratories and sanitary facilities. Mr. Vanderpuije noted 38 out of the 50 are at different levels of construction. On sanitation, he said the current landfill site at Sarbah and Ablekuma were almost full and

may not be available for use after December hence the need to look for other sites which he

said was daunting but nevertheless, the AMA would work with Zoomlion and Stanley Owusu

and Co waste management companies to maintain their respective available landfill sites at

Adjen Kotoku, Anyaa and Ablekuma. According to him, the Waste to Energy project, a collaboration with the UK firm EWS, to

convert solid waste to energy faced challenges because of the difficulty in the acquisition of

the Teshie Compost plant site but was hopeful that the Assembly would work hard to avert

any environmental catastrophe. The Accra Mayor bemoaned the current disposal of liquid waste and said that plans were

advanced to collaborate with an Israeli company to turn the situation aroun= d. He expressed regret at the high number of houses without toilet facilities and noted that an

inspection conducted by the Metro Health Department revealed that 68.11 percent of houses

in Accra did not have toilets. Touching on major on-going projects, he said the Millennium Development Authority's

(MiDA) road construction projects; from Tetteh Quarshie to Mallam Junction was expected

to be completed by 2012 while the Dansoman highway, Guggisberg extension and Spintex

among other road expansion works were also under construction. The government, he said, would further modernize road infrastructure in the city to reduce

traffic congestion. Under the project, three flyovers would be constructed at Kwame

Nkrumah Circle, Obetsebi Lamptey Circle and 37 roundabouts at the cost of $200m

Under the Electoral Area Project, installation and maintenance of 5,151 Streetlights have

been completed across the metropolis and added that the national street naming and house

numbering exercise would soon be carried out to increase revenue, enhance tourism and

security among others.