SADA is not a substitute to government projects - Vice President

Accra, May 4, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday stated that the implementation of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) is to complement government's efforts and not a substitute to other development funds.

"SADA is not going to be substitutional financing, but complementary to other government efforts, where they will be expected to raise funds and finance development projects independent of government subventions." Vice President Mahama stated this when members of a round table committee on "Private Sector Participation on SADA projects" tasked by government to make inputs presented their report to him in his office. The Committee which included over 40 private sector companies was led by Alhaji Asuma Banda, Chief Executive Officer of Antrak Ghana Limited and Dr. Sulley Gariba, Coordinator of the Interim Management of SADA. The rest are Nana Owusu Afari of Afariwaa Farms, Miss Faiser Taimoko, Taimoko Agricultural Ventures, Alhaji Alhassan Andani, Managing Director of Stanbic Bank and Mr Henry Wientjes, Chairman, Wienco Group. The Vice President said the inclusion of the Private Sector in Ghana's Telecommunication sector had worked tremendously and hoped such success would be replicated in the SADA programme.

He commended the Committee for spending less than a week to make useful recommendations for the project to take off and called on stakeholders to hold on to their responsibilities to avoid early challenges in the programme.

Alhaji Asuma Banda who presented their recommendations to the Vice President, called on government to as a matter of urgency, to upgrade the Tamale Airport into an international one to supplement Kotoka International Airport.

The Airport, he said, could help transport pilgrims from Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali and Niger and serve as another landing point for aircraft bound for Ghana anytime there were problems.

"We want the implementation of the SADA programme to turn the North into the Dubai of Africa to attract neighbouring countries to do business in here in the next five years."

Alhaji Banda said apart from physical development of the areas covered by the SADA programme, jobs should also be created and sustain workers to avoid the frequent drift of educated youth from the North to the southern areas of the country for non-existent jobs. The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority programme is the initiative of the NDC government that seeks to bridge the development gap between the northern and the southern parts of Ghana. It covers the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, as well as some parts of the Brong-Ahafo and the Volta Regions. 4 May. 10