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2014 State of the Nation Address By H.E. John Dramani Mahama [document](AllAfrica Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Continued from last Friday's edition A larger-than-expected expansion in the wages and compensation bill during the implementation of the singe spine created a wage spiral that we are working with organized labour to contain. Huge and unsustainable subsidies on petroleum products and utilities also threw the budget out of sync. The net effect was an increase in our budget deficit to nearly 12%, an increase in inflation above 13%, an increase in interest rates, and also an increase in our domestic debt. Ghana is in the capital markets to stay. And we take note of the concerns that analysts have expressed about these developments, notably the compensation bill -- including acknowledgement of the painful measures that our people are having to endure towards our consolidation effort. The visiting IMF Article IV mission (who I believe are here in Chamber with us) has also expressed similar concerns in the course of our interactions with them. Mr. Speaker , it is for these reasons that we have had to take difficult measures to arrest this trend and restore the macro economy to good health. While these measures have been unpleasant and difficult to take, ultimately they are necessary to create a good economic environment in which businesses can continue to, not merely survive but also grow. Mr. Speaker , we have had to take difficult measures to arrest this trend and restore the macro economy to good health. While these measures have been unpleasant and difficult to take, ultimately they are necessary to create a good economic environment in which businesses can continue to not merely survive but also grow. It is an experience with which, I am sure, we can empathise in our daily lives. We have all, at some point, had to bear the taste of a bitter medicine in order to restore our bodies to good health. Mr. Speaker , I wish to assure this august house, and the good citizens of Ghana that as with the taste of any bitter medicine, this turbulence we are all being made to bear is temporary. We shall begin to see the benefits of the sacrifices we are making very soon. Mr. Speaker , as a lower middle-income country in transition to middle income status, we have an enormous need for credit to develop our social and economic infrastructure. Our debt to GDP ratio is currently estimated at 52%. While this is not abnormally high, our domestic debt and the current high interest rates are a major challenge to the economy. The Hon Minister for Finance is currently implementing measures to refinance a portion of the domestic debt, thereby reducing the pressures these obligations are placing on the budget. We have also commenced work on the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund. This fund will enable us to disaggregate our debt profile and transfer infrastructure investments with a revenue generating capacity from the public debt. Institutions such as Ghana Gas, VRA, GPHA, GACL, GNPC and other public and private institutions would be able to finance their investments through this window without burdening the public debt stock. This should significantly improve our debt sustainability profile. We will work with our development partners and other multi-lateral associates to ensure that Ghana continues on the path of accelerated growth and equitable development into the future. b. Foreign Exchange Mr. Speaker , recent measures announced by the Bank of Ghana in response to the depreciation of the cedi created some concern among the business and investment community. Mr. Speaker , Ghana still remains the most attractive investment destination in West Africa and guarantees peace, safety, stability and security. I wish to assure investors that all agreements governing their investments remain in force and repatriation of profits and dividends are guaranteed. The BOG has clarified its regulations in respect of foreign currency accounts and it is my hope that this has allayed the concerns of both the domestic and foreign investor communities. Mr. Speaker, Ghana has come from the environment in the 70's and early 80's when a command and control economy led to a strict regulation of foreign exchange. Reforms in the mid 80's saw the introduction of forex bureaus and the liberalization of the foreign exchange regime. In this transition we moved from one extreme to another, a situation in which control of forex was so lax, that Ghana was fast becoming a source of foreign exchange for our neighbours. Huge transactions in millions of dollars were being conducted in forex bureaus. This had not been the original intention. Dwindling confidence in our currency led to a situation where people hedged on the dollar. Persons with excess cedis converted them into dollars and deposited them in their foreign exchange accounts. We had a situation where forex holdings on behalf of businesses and individuals in our commercial banks amounted to over $3 billion. In addition, our economy had become increasingly dollarized. Hotel room rates, vehicles, rents, school fees, household appliances, consumer items, cosmetics, clothes and other items were all quoted in dollars. The obvious problem with this is that the dollar is not our national currency. The currency of Ghana is the cedi, and the cedi will only gain strength if we begin to view and use it as that, our nation's only currency. The Attorney General and the EOCO have been charged to monitor the situation and severely sanction any institution advertising rates or prices and charging in foreign currency. A directive to the same effect has also been issued to government agencies. c. Transforming our economy Mr. Speaker, the basic structure of our economy has not changed from colonial times. The Gold Coast was designed by the colonial masters to be exporters of raw material and importers of finished goods. This is what best served their needs and purposes. After independence our first President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory, sought to break this vicious cycle by establishing numerous state owned industries to produce consumer products for the domestic market as an import substitution measure. Unfortunately, the management of these enterprises became a challenge and soon they turned into a very huge expense on the budget. A decision was made to divest these enterprises to the private sector. Unfortunately, in many cases, the domestic private sector was unable to leverage the financing needed to revamp these industries and bring them back into production. Mr. Speaker the result is that we are still largely dependent on the export of raw material, gold, cocoa, timber, oil and mineral exports and on the import of finished goods. That is still the basic structure of our economy. Mr. Speaker, a fundamental problem of our economy is that we do not make what we consume. This is the situation the late General Acheampong sought to address with the "Operation Feed Yourself" and "Operation Feed Your Industries" programmes, which were aimed at strengthening Ghana's ability to be self-reliant. Mr. Speaker, in 2013 alone we spent a whopping amount of almost $1.5 billion in foreign currency on the import of rice, sugar, wheat, tomato products, frozen fish, poultry and vegetable cooking oils. Rice accounted for $374 million, fish $283.3 million, wheat $226.7 million, poultry $169.2 million, cooking oils $127 million, tomato products $112.1 million. Mr. Speaker, imagine if this money had been retained in Ghana. Imagine if it had gone into the pockets of Ghanaian entrepreneurs who would, in turn, spend those cedis at markets, restaurants, beauty shops, pharmacies, shopping centres and other Ghanaian enterprises. When Ghanaians produce goods that other Ghanaians use, they are then able to re-invest that revenue back into the very communities that patronized them. The money flows in a current, and it fortifies the nation's economy. That, Mr. Speaker, is the best use of a nation's currency. Imagine all that we could achieve if in one year, we could spend as much in cedis on locally produced rice, sugar, wheat, tomato products, frozen fish, poultry, vegetable and cooking oils, as we spent in dollars on those very same imported items last year. Just imagine! Mr. Speaker, as we all know, raw material exports are subject to price fluctuations on the international market. Countries that are dependent on raw material exports are therefore subject to wild cycles of booms and busts. Mr. Speaker, 57 years after independence, we need to take pause and ask ourselves some critical questions. Can the current structure of our economy carry us to the next level? What changes must we make to create an economic structure that will serve our needs and purposes? Mr. Speaker, between 2012 and 2013 Ghana lost $1.3 billion in export revenues on account of the decline in cocoa and gold prices. At the same time our import bill rose dramatically to $17 billion. Can we, as a nation, continue this unbridled importation of everything from plastic dolls to toothpicks? Must we continue to rely on a narrow band of raw material exports? Were we born to be a nation of only shopkeepers and traders? My definite response to these questions is NO! Once more, Mr. Speaker, we return to the need for change in order to facilitate growth. We must change the structure of our economy. We must reduce the importation of items that we have a comparative advantage to produce. We must add value to our exports through primary, secondary and tertiary processing: add value to our cocoa by increased domestic processing; refine our gold before export; pursue Nkrumah's dream of an integrated bauxite and alumina industry. We must revamp Tema Oil Refinery, revive BOST, VALCO, Tema Shipyard and Drydock and the many other strategic industries that serve as extra pillars for our economy. Mr. Speaker, in compliance with the Constitution I am required to present this house with a medium term development framework before the close of this year. I have dialogued with the NDPC that is working on this plan and urged them to come out with a plan that fundamentally addresses this weakness in the structure of our economy. I have specifically tasked them to handle the process in a way as to create a buy-in from all Ghanaians irrespective of political affiliation or societal status. This is not a time to stand divided along any lines; this is not the time to stand on the sidelines; this is the time for us to stand together, as Ghanaians, on the side of Ghana. In the interim, to kick start this process of transformation, I have tasked the Minister of Trade and Industry to request that the Export Development and Agriculture Investment Fund extend assistance to local investors for increased production of poultry, rice, tomatoes, cooking oil, and fish. Mr. Speaker, financing has been finalized for the construction of a new sugar processing plant in Komenda in the Central Region. We are also in discussion with another private sector investor about the establishment of another sugar processing plant in the north near Savelugu. I have requested that the Hon. Minister of Trade and Industry give these two projects his personal attention. Mr. Speaker, I have also tasked the Minister to speak with the operators of flour mills and introduce incentives for production of composite flours that incorporate more local flour from products like cassava, maize and sorghum. It is my intention to commence work this year on the realization of the integrated bauxite and aluminium industry, including the revamping of VALCO. A joint venture agreement between TOR and Petro Saudi is being finalized to revamp the operations of our oil refinery. This will reduce the huge amount of forex we expend on the importation of finished petroleum products. A Transactions Advisor is being selected to guide the process of choosing a strategic partner to invest in the Tema Shipyard and Dry dock Industry. I have asked the Ghana Cocoa Board to enter into a strategic partnership to produce jute sacks in Ghana. This will start by the importation of the jute fibres and the sewing of the sacks locally. It will eventually backward integrate into the production of kenaf and the weaving of the jute fibres locally. Cocobod will, at that time, be required to halt the importation of jute sacks and buy all its sacks from this factory. I have asked the Board and Management of the Electricity Company of Ghana to encourage the local manufacture of electrical products like cables, transformers, meters etc by purchasing from local producers who meet their quality standard. Mr. Speaker, we will this year launch a broad campaign to encourage Ghanaians to buy made-in-Ghana goods. Any import item we buy as Ghanaians constitutes an export of jobs out of our country, especially in respect of items for which we have a comparative advantage to produce. Mr. Speaker , last week I held several meetings with a host of leaders in the business community, from large corporations to medium and small-scale enterprises, companies as wide-ranging as CalBank, FinaTrade, and Scancom to Sethi Industries, Beige Capital, Reroy Cables and Agbeve Herbal. The purpose of these meetings was to open an honest and easy exchange of ideas and information between Government and the private sector. The better we are able to assist one another, the faster we can all help to strengthen the economy by building a Ghana that is self-sufficient and successful. Mr. Speaker , I was encouraged and inspired by these meetings. The determined, hardworking, visionary men and women I met reaffirmed my belief that Ghanaians are more than capable of creating industries to sustain this country. I met Mr. Magnus Nunoo, President of the National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers. Mr. Nunoo spoke to me with the eloquence and knowledge of an economist; and why not? Mr. Nunoo attended schools in Cape Coast, Ningo and Labone; he read Economics at Legon. Mr. Nunoo introduced the packaging of water in sachets and he now employs over 100,000 people. Mr. Nunoo even found value in his industry's waste, and became a proponent of commercial-scale plastic waste management. Mr. Speaker , at this same meeting, I also made an acquaintance of Mr. Tony Senayah, of Horseman Shoes, a company he started in 2009 by buying and selling locally made shoes from a manufacturer in LaPaz. It had always been Mr. Senayah's dream to build a vocational training institute. One day he saw a business opportunity. He realized that a lot of the young people he knew were skilled at making shoes, but beyond that they didn't know how to make their work economically viable. Suddenly he saw a way to create employment for young people. He recruited them to make the shoes that he designed. And, Mr. Speaker, I tell you: they are very nice, very comfortable shoes. In fact, I am wearing a pair right now. This, Mr Speaker, this is what I mean when I say "Made In Ghana". The people as well as the products. Who we are as Ghanaians has always been the driving force behind what we do and how we do it. This country is more than capable of consistently delivering quality--in people, in performance, in products--if only we demand it of ourselves. d. Agriculture and Food Security Mr Speaker, despite the fact that the agricultural sector has lost its prime spot as the largest contributor to GDP to the services sector, agriculture remains a key priority of Government. Government's vision to ensure food security in Ghana has been largely achieved. This has even been acknowledged by the international community. Last year, 2013, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the AU/Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) recognized Ghana for achieving the MDG of reducing hunger and malnutrition in advance of the 2015 target date. The award was received by the Minister for Agriculture on my behalf, and it was dedicated to all the hardworking farmers of Ghana. I take the opportunity to salute my predecessors, President Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills (of blessed memory) for the role they all played in helping us achieve this feat. Mr Speaker, through the use of improved planting material, subsidized fertilizers, extension services, and access to credit we have achieved surpluses in our traditional staple crops: cassava, yam, plantain and maize. This has enhanced food security in Ghana, as these foods are now plentiful in the market at reasonable prices. And to continue on this positive note, Mr Speaker, I would like to report that even with the huge volume and value of our rice imports, our local rice production has seen a significant increase of about 60%. This has necessitated the establishment by the private sector of two new rice-processing factories in Nyankpala in the Northern Region and Sogakope in the Volta Region. Another rice processing factory is planned for Atsutuare in the Greater Accra Region. Despite these successes, many challenges still confront the industry. Access to credit, lack of mechanized equipment for large-scale commercial rice production, non-availability of sufficient irrigated lands; all of these conditions constrain increased rice production. However, Government is focused on partnering with the private sector to eliminate as many of these constrains as possible. Mr Speaker, in this regard, within the past year, Government completed rehabilitation work on some viable irrigation schemes and added more than 1,200 hectares of land to the stock of irrigable land, mainly for rice production. Another 8,000 hectares have been added by the private sector, to supplement nearly 6,000 hectares of land in the three Northern regions alone. That is 15,200 hectares of land total, all devoted to rice cultivation. It is my firm belief that if we maintain this progress, we are making in rice production, Ghana will, in the near future, become a net exporter of rice. Mr Speaker, as I said earlier, we achieved surpluses in our traditional staple crops including cassava. Cassava is the most consumed crop per capita in Ghana. An abundance of cassava, therefore, represents a good source of income for our farmers, but it also guarantees the availability of local foods such as banku, tuo zafi, gari, kokonte and fufu. Mr Speaker, when left to our devices, we Ghanaians are exceptionally innovative and industrious. Lately cassava has also been serving as a profitable input for the brewery industry. With the introduction of a new sliding scale for excise based on the use of local inputs, the breweries have been incentivized to introduce sorghum and cassava into beer production. These new brands are proving to be quite popular with consumers. This has been made possible as a result of the availability of 6 million tons of extra cassava, over and above our national demand. The introduction of improved varieties, plus a well-developed value chain as well as the development of business oriented viable Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) has been the basis of this achievement. Mr Speaker, we have sustained our programme of subsidies for fertilizer and improved seeds. The fertilizer subsidy programme has increased in quantity from below 50,000 metric tonnes in 2008 when it was initiated to 150,000 metric tonnes in 2013. This year, 2014, the subsidy is expected to cover a volume of 180,000 metric tonnes. I am also pleased to report that as a result of measures put in place, the incidence of smuggling of the product has largely been curtailed. Under the livestock production programme, the Animal Production Division of the Ministry of Agriculture is assisting farmers in the sub-sector to improve the quality and quantity of meat they supply to the market. Mr Speaker, Government's objective is to position agriculture as a truly viable and attractive area for private capital, just as we are seeing with mining, petroleum and housing. I call on the private sector to partner with us to create these new instruments that can allow us to share both the risk and benefits of such large-scale undertakings, which will trigger a more sustainable transformation, to deliver prosperity to our people. Mr Speaker, I am pleased to report that we're entering in some of these partnerships already in the area of irrigation development. Collaboration between government institutions and private agribusiness groups is underway to deliver almost 30,000 hectares of irrigated land under the Sissili-Kulpawn project in the West Mamprusi area of the Northern Region. Mr Speaker, environmental impact assessment studies are also underway for a combined irrigation, flood control and hydroelectric power station at Pwalugu in the Upper East region. The Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP) funded by the USAID and the World Bank is working with traditional authorities in the Nasia river catchment area for another irrigation project. Mr Speaker, as mentioned earlier, work will commence on a new sugar factory at Komenda this year. This will be supported with an irrigation scheme for high yield sugar cane plantation to feed the factory. The factory is expected to create jobs and employment especially within the catchment area, and produce value-added bi-products such as energy and alcohol. e. Trade & Industry Since the establishment of the Free Zones in the early 90s, a lot of progress has been made in attracting serious investors into the processing zone. Mr Speaker, the Export Processing Zone is being positioned to attract more export-oriented investments that can generate foreign exchange, create employment and improve livelihoods. The Ghana Free Zones Board licensed 23 new companies that are expected to generate more than 10,000 new jobs over the next three years. Mr Speaker, globalization and trade liberalization have brought in their wake a number of unfair trading practices such as dumping by foreign exporters. We are aware of the difficulties encountered by some domestic companies as a result of these unfair trading practices. To check these practices we will, in the course of this year, submit to Parliament a Bill on the establishment of a Ghana International Trade Commission (GITC), which will enable our nation to take advantage of the remedies on piracy, anti-dumping and countervailing measures. The overall effect of this commission would be to boost our domestic and international competitiveness. -Local content boosting the Ghanaian private sector. Mr Speaker, we have passed the local content law for the Oil and Gas industry. This will allow the Ghanaian private sector to participate fully in the multi-million dollar contracts awarded in the industry. With the passage of this bill, Ghanaian registered companies must quickly build capacity to compete in tenders advertised by the oil companies. Mr Speaker, Government will also use its financial muscle to boost the Ghanaian private sector. Their success is everybody's success. Their prosperity is one that will ultimately benefit the entire nation. Ghanaian registered companies that are up to date in their corporate obligations would be given preference in bids under a revised Public Procurement Act soon to be laid before Parliament. Government agencies would be compelled to give first consideration in procurement to goods and services made in Ghana. Value for money and quality will not be compromised in the process. -Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) Mr Speaker, as part of efforts to create an orderly, transparent, and efficient marketing system for Ghana's key agricultural commodities to promote agricultural investment and enhance productivity, the Government has committed itself to the establishment of a Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) and associated Warehouse Receipt System (WRS). This move is to encourage market access and fair returns for smallholder farmers, and to facilitate the formalization of informal agricultural trading activities. It is expected that the establishment of the Ghana Commodity Exchange will position it as a West Africa Regional Hub for commodity trading activities. -Economic Partnership Agreement Mr Speaker, regarding the Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU, the West Africa Regional bloc is in negotiations. In the interest of regional solidarity, Ghana is committed to the collective position of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in conformity with the region's common goal. I am optimistic about the process of negotiation between the EU and ECOWAS and believe that an equitable and development-oriented regional EPA Agreement will be concluded in line with Market Access Regulations. Ghana must, however, consider traditional measures to guarantee market access seeing as a regional partnership agreement would not have been ratified before the deadline of 14th October of this year. Mr Speaker, Government will support the Ghanaian industrial sector to enable it to generate jobs, reduce poverty, and increase manufactured exports. This will include affordable financial credit for retooling and expansion. -Ports and Trade Facilitation As part of measures to decongest the ports and facilitate trade, more non-intrusive cargo scanners will be deployed in 2014 at the various ports and major border posts. I have also directed the Minister for Finance to initiate the revision of the relevant legislative instruments to extend the time for goods meant for warehousing from 3 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. This will also facilitate the delivery of a twenty-four hour service by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority. Mr Speaker, we will reduce the time and transaction costs of clearance at the ports. The case where importers must pay demurrages as a result of inefficiencies not caused by these importers but by state agencies will be corrected. -Investment Promotion Mr Speaker, a new Ghana Investment Promotion Act is in force to regulate investment into the country. The GIPC supported by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has started embarking on aggressive Trade and Investment Promotion activities in the coming years. We have plans to establish Trade Offices in China, Turkey, South Africa and Japan. -Tourism The Tourism and the creative sector are a major contributor to our economic growth. In 2013 the sector maintained its position as the fourth highest foreign exchange earner after Gold, Cocoa and remittances from Ghanaians abroad. International arrivals and receipts grew by 10%, rising from 903,300 in 2012 to 993,600 in 2013 resulting in an increase from US$ 1.7 Billion to US$1.9 and contributing 4.7% to GDP. In terms of employment a total of 319,000 jobs were created in both formal and informal tourism enterprises. With appropriate investments in this sector, tourism can become a leading revenue earner for our economy. We will invest also in the creative industries, which have become a major source of employment and income for thousands of our people. PILLAR III: EXPANDING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR GROWTH Mr. Speaker, just as the basic structure of our economy has remained virtually unchanged since our transition to a free, self-governing nation, our basic infrastructure has not been greatly expanded since the early days of our liberation. Back then our population was significantly smaller and distributed more evenly between the urban and rural areas. Mr. Speaker, in 2000 Ghana's population was roughly 18.9 million; by 2010 it had increased by more than 30% to 24.6 million. In order to sustain and enhance our projected rate of growth over the long term, it is absolutely necessary that we develop and expand our infrastructure to support expanded economic activity and to guarantee rapid socioeconomic development. Current estimates indicate an annual funding gap of about four billion cedis if we are to effectively tackle our infrastructure challenges and expand them as a catalyst for growth. Mr. Speaker, following the announcement by the Hon Minister for Finance when he presented the 2014 Budget Estimates to this august house, I have moved quickly to set up an Advisory team to lead the way for the operationalization of the Ghana Infrastructure Fund. Mr. Speaker, we made clear commitments to the nation in the 2012 manifesto to embark on an aggressive expansion of the country's infrastructure. Pursuant to this commitment, a number of major investments have been made as part of our strategic infrastructure programme in the road, transport, energy, water, housing and communications sectors. a. Roads Mr. Speaker, every single day, we trust our roads to carry our children, spouses, parents and friends safely to and from school, work, appointments, villages and hometowns. We trust our roads for the reliable transport and delivery of food and beverages, clothing and other merchandise. When our roads are not adequately maintained or repaired, we face the possibility of losing precious lives, losing much-needed revenue and losing time that could have been better spent doing something other than sitting in traffic. Mr. Speaker, when I delivered the State of the Nation Address last year, I informed this House of my government's desire to transform the Kwame Nkrumah Circle into a modern three-tier interchange to eliminate the human and vehicular congestion that has come to be associated with that very busy intersection. I am happy to report that I cut the sod for construction to begin on the interchange last year and work is currently ongoing. Mr. Speaker, we are making similar progress on many other road projects in various parts of the country. We are on schedule to complete the 147-kilometre Fufulso- Sawla Road in the Northern Region. That long stretch of road, which is being constructed for the first time in history, has completely transformed the catchment area that it covers. Even before completion of the road, it is being reported that economic activity and tourist arrivals at the Mole Game Reserve have increased. Within Accra, work is also progressing on a number of traffic improvement roads, and I must acknowledge the messages of appreciation received from residents of Teshie Tebibiano and surrounding communities following the fast track reshaping of the road linking the area to the main Accra-Tema beach road. Several road works are ongoing in the Accra urban roads district. 30 kilometers of road have been completed in the Garden city of Kumasi, many of these are in the Suame and Asawase constituencies (Abawa Ruth, Bremang UGC, Sepe Dote, Abusuakruwa, Sawaba area, Adukrom, Asokore Mampon roads. Mr. Speaker, i Pix-by-Eric-Owiredu n 2013, significant progress was made on other important road projects in various parts of the country. These include the Tarkwa-Ayanfuri-Bogoso, sectional repairs on Tarkwa-Prestea the Central Corridor Road, consisting of Nsawam By-Pass, Kwafokrom - Apedwa, Techiman-Kintampo, Buipe - Tamale; the Eastern Corridor Road, consisting of Asikuma Junction - Kpeve; Dodo-Pepesu to Nkwanta, Nkwanta - Oti Damanko. The Coastal Corridor Road, consisting of Aflao-Agbozume-Akatsi, and Agona Junction to Elubo Road; Accra East Corridor roads, that is Giffard and Burma Camp Roads; and the Accra West Corridor that is the Awoshie-Pokuase Road. Work will continue on the Walewale-Gambaga, Navrongo-Tumu, Tamale -Salaga, Kintampo-Abease and Atebubu-Kwame Danso road. Work will start this year on the Lawra-Han-Tumu road. Installation of bridges is also ongoing to open up the road from Walewale to Wa. Mr Speaker, the 60 km Anwia-Nkwanta-Assin Praso road has been reconstructed with a new bridge spanning River Pra. This project will be commissioned in the coming weeks. Mr Speaker, in 2013, across the country, we undertook critical maintenance work on a total of 15,405 km of trunk, urban and feeder roads. This year, in addition to ensuring speedy completion of the ongoing projects, we will commence a number of new road projects aimed at further opening up the country and facilitating the free movement of people as well as enhancing economic activity. These projects include the 25km Kasoa bypass, and town roads in Sekondi-Takoradi, Nyarkrom, Gwolu, Bole, Manfi-Kumasi, Kpetoe, Moree, Old Tafo and Fomena-Anyasi. To be Continued Copyright Ghanaian Chronicle. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). |