Accra, May 11, GNA - Ghana and European Union (EU) on Wednesday signed an agreement under which the EU would provide a total of 88.49 million euros (973.4 billion cedis) to support projects including the provision of water and construction of roads in the country.
The amount represents almost 30 per cent of the total 2002-2007 EU assistance to the Government of Ghana and falls within the Country Strategy Paper and National Indicative Programmes (CSP/NIP) to support specific projects.
The projects are the second phase of the Kumasi - Techiman Road Project, which would take 35.90 million euros; feeder roads improvement project in the Eastern Region for which 27 million euros has been given; 40 small town water and sanitation project in the Central and Western Regions (23.59 million euros) and the a cultural initiatives support programme that would have two million euros.
The agreement was signed by Professor George Gyan-Baffour, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Mr Fliberto Ceriani Sebregondi, Head of the European Commission in Ghana. The CSP/NIP under the Ninth European Development Fund signed in October 2002 provides for an overall initial allocation of 311 million euros for 2002-2007.
By the agreement 88.49 million euros becomes fully committed for the implementation of the stated projects. Briefing newsmen at the signing, Prof. Gyan-Baffour urged organisations and key holders involved in the direct implementation of project to apply themselves diligently to the tasks ahead to ensure smooth and timely execution of the projects.
"Let us work closely so that at the end of the implementation period, the objectives of the projects would be achieved and the lives of our people could be made easier."
He said since poverty manifested itself in the rural areas any contribution towards the development of the rural sector had a catalytic effect on the transformation of the national economy. Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, expressed his appreciation for the support saying the money would help to meet the nation's aim of providing potable for the 85 per cent of the people.
He said it was sad that in the 21st century, Ghana could only provide water for less than half of the urban and rural communities. Mr Sebregondi said the EU's aim was to put people at the centre of development with peace, security, good governance and sustained economic growth and focusing on the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) among others as the main pillars of social change.
He noted that although no decision had been reached on the next meeting between Ghana and the EU, "it is clear that the orientation for the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) would be guided by agreed common values of ownership, partnership, integration in the world economy, cooperation and aid modalities".
He said programming for the next country strategy from 2008-2013 had begun and that they hoped to prepare a Joint Assistance Strategy with the British Department for International Development (DFID), Germany and the World Bank, in response to the growth and poverty reduction agenda prepared by the Government of Ghana, aiming at middle income status by 2015.
