Don’t expect new roads from IMF cash – Adjei Mensah to Ghanaians

Former Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Isaac Adjei Mensah has urged Ghanaians not to expect new roads this year under the Akufo-Addo administration.

This, he said, is because the government’s priority is to leverage the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout to fairly stabilise the country’s economy that has been crippled for at least 2 years.

His comment follows a recently approved US$600 million as the second tranche of Ghana’s bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Although Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has said US$600 million would be used for some programmes in the 2024 Budget, The Ranking Member on Roads and highways Committee of Parliament argues that the budgetary allocation for roads is nothing good to write home about.

“The roads sector is very bad yet this government lacks maintenance culture and it is unable to fix the roads the erstwhile NDC government left behind,” the MP for Wassa East said on Dwaboase programme on TV XYZ.

The Legislator went on to say the government has failed to maintain existing roads which has led to most highways deteriorating across the country.

“This government has received much revenue than any government in the history of this country but if you as President Akufo-Addo to tell you what his administration has done with the huge funds and loans, he would not be able to tell you,” he added.

To him, the government is not willing to rehabilitate roads anytime soon, adding that “the IMF funds will be pumped into the economy but not roads.”

“If the government does not misuse the IMF cash, the economy can be stabilised but talking of roads, all major flagship projects have been suspended,” he stated.