Suspension of projects is due to lack of funding -Minister

Accra (Greater Accra) 19 May ?99

Nii Okaija Adamafio, minister of the Interior, on Tuesday stated that inadequate budgetary allocation is the basic constraint facing most projects under his ministry.

Nii Okaija, who was in Parliament to answer questions about his ministry, however, assured Ghanaians that, under the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), some suspended projects would be re-activated.

As to when the abandoned Agona Swedru Police Barracks project would be completed, the minister said the project, which began in 1976, was suspended in 1978 but was partially re-activated four years later.

He said, between 1980 and 1994, the progress of the project was chequered due to lack of sufficient funding, resulting in its final suspension in 1995.

Nii Okaija assured Mr Samuel Oppong, NDC-Agona West in whose name the question stood, that the project would be re-activated under the MTEF next year.

On fire tenders, Nii Okaija repeated his ministry's determination to ensure that all fire stations are provided with tenders to enable personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service to work efficiently.

Answering a question by Mr Samuel K. Kwofie, NPP-Ahanta West, as to what plans the ministry had to upgrade the Agona Nkwanta Police Station to district headquarters status, the minister stated that the station had been included in budget proposals for next year.

In answer to another question by the MP, Nii Okaija said there are no immediate plans to open a station at Apowa even though he agrees that with the fast expansion of Takoradi in the direction of Apowa and beyond, and the volume of industrial activities, it is necessary.

Explaining, he stated that there is a government policy to complete all on-going projects before tackling new ones, adding that, for that matter, provision will be made in 2001 for the construction of a Police Station at Apowa.