Completed Feeder Roads in Eastern Region handed over

Miaso (ER), May 07, GNA - Road works carried out under the Feeder Roads Improvement programme (FRIP) in seven districts in the Eastern Region were on Thursday handed over at a ceremony at Miaso in the Fanteakwa District.

The roads covering a total of 648.1 kilometers and estimated at GHC31,700 million, were financed through a credit from the European Development Fund (EDF). The project included bitumen surfacing, rehabilitation and spot improvement.

Beneficiary communities include the Afram Plains, Birim North, Birim South, East Akyem, Fanteakwa, Kwaebibirim and the Kwahu South Districts. Handing over the projects, Mr Joe Gidisu, Minister of Roads and Highways, announced that the Ministry and its development partners embarked on the Road Sector Development Programme (RSDP), a five-year rolling programme intended to provide direct support to the goals of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) by clearing the backlog of road maintenance.

"We are extremely happy to acknowledge the successful implementation of the FRIP and reiterate our cherished co-operation with the European Commission in achieving such a feat". Mr Gidisu used the occasion to acknowledge the Ministry's previous collaboration with the EU on STABEX Phase one, two and three projects which covered four regions of the country, namely Western, Central, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo.

He observed that the intervention had no doubt contributed significantly to the improvement of the road network in the cocoa growing areas of those regions and had also enhanced the evacuation of cocoa beans to the ports. Mr Claude Maerten, Ambassador Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ghana, said the aim of the project had been the improvement of access to markets and social services such as schools, clinics, community centres for the rural population in the beneficiary areas. He encouraged the Ministry to ensure that all means possible are employed to keep the roads in good shape. Mr Maerten said the EU understood that one of the main priorities of the government was to create an enabling environment for and assist in the development of the agricultural sector.

He said an important strand in such a policy would be to ensure that farmers had access to markets for their produce, adding "This is ensured by a well maintained network of feeder roads". Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, in a welcoming address, said as part of the government's "Better Ghana" agenda, infrastructural growth especially the development of the country's roads, remained very high on the priority scale. "The construction of highways, urban roads and feeder roads will continue to be our development blue print", he said. He said road construction was capital-intensive and government alone would not be able to provide funds for their construction and maintenance, adding that "It is in that respect that we greatly appreciate and commend the EU as dependable Development Partners in government's effort to improve the road infrastructure of the country". Mr Ofosu-Ampofo appealed to the EU to assist further in putting the Besibuom Juctionb-Peseator, Otuater-Abourso, Owusukrom-Miaso and Ahomahomasu-Miaso roads in good shape to enhance easy transportation.