Ghana, World Bank sign 55 million dollars grant agreement

Accra, Aug. 25, GNA - Ghana and the World Bank on Friday signed two separate agreements for a grant of 55 million dollars towards the implementation of the e-Ghana Project and the Education for All-Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FT I).

Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, signed for Ghana while Mr Mats Karlsson, World Bank Country Director, signed for the Bank.

Forty million dollars would fund the e-Ghana Project to support the implementation of the selected components of the Government's information and communication technologies for accelerated development policy.

The objective of the e-Ghana Project, to be implemented over five years by the Ministry of Communications, is to assist the Government to generate growth and employment by leveraging ICT and public-private partnerships to develop ICT services industry. The IFA-FTI is a fund basket of 11 million dollars, with various components to improve on teacher training, recruitment and deployment to deprived areas through provision of teacher accommodation, vehicles, motorbikes and bicycles.

Mr Baah-Wiredu thanking the Bank for the support said key targets of industry would be better off.

"There would be an increase in ICT-based jobs by 200 per cent over five years with equal opportunities for women, increase in export-led revenues generated by ICT/ITES industry by about 90 million dollars." The Minister said the e-Ghana project facility would lead to an increase in satisfaction of users with selected Government services taken up for electronic delivery. Mr Karlsson reiterated the Bank's support to the two beneficiary Ministries and expressed the hope that it would bring about change in the nation's drive towards emancipation in those areas. Professor Mike Oquaye, Minister of Communications, and Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports, witnessed the ceremony.