EU grant for Kumasi-Techiman road

Accra, Nov. 22, GNA - Government on Wednesday signed a 30.7 million euro grant agreement with the European Union (EU) for the rehabilitation of the Kumasi - Techiman road.

The amount would be used to rehabilitate the second phase of the Kumasi-Techiman road covering about 75 kilometres, which would include 2.1 kilometres of dual-carriage.

The first phase of the project, which is schedule to be completed in May 2007, covered a stretch of 40 kilometres.

Signing the agreement on behalf of the Government in Accra, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said the completion of the road would help to improve the connectivity of trade both internally and externally.

"The improvement of the road would impact positively on the national economy and also contribute immensely to Ghana's regional integration efforts" he said.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) country support paper for the 2008-2013 would also focus on transport infrastructure development to achieve greater regional integration and promote intra-regional trade.

He said the development of road transport continued to be a focal area of Ghana's cooperation with the EU, which was consistent with Ghana's development agenda under the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy II (GPRS II).

Mr Baah-Wiredu urged Messrs MSF/SOECO, contractors of the project, to speed up work in order to complete it on time. Mr Filiberto Ceriani Sebregondi, EU's Ambassador to Ghana, said a Transport Integration Plan would be prepared in 2007 to identify policy measures and action plan with financing strategy to help to boost Ghana's economic growth and poverty reduction.

Mr Sebregondi said the transport and infrastructure sector would remain the centre of future support by the EU to Ghana to support growth and poverty reduction. 22 Nov. 06