Government secures funding for solar powered cell sites

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Caretaker Minister for Finance has said the government had secured funding for the development of 2,016 solar powered cell sites to cover 25% of the unserved population.

He said as at the end of December 2020, 410 out of the 2,016 sites were built across the country and in 2021, the remaining 1,606 sites would be completed.

Delivering the 2021 budget on the theme: “Consolidation, Completion and Continuation,” Budget in Parliament, Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu said in line with the government’s digitalization agenda and commitment to expenditure controls, the national eProcurement system was deployed in 2020 for five pilot entities.

“These include Department of Feeder Roads, Ghana COCOBOD, Ghana Health Service, Koforidua Technical University and Tema Metropolitan Assembly,” adding that, “scaling up of the system to 200 additional entities was programmed for the year ending 2021.”

In the area of aviation, Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu said the government over the years had embarked on massive infrastructural development to facelift existing airports to meet international standards and that key among them were the expansion of both Kumasi and Tamale airports.

He said in 2021, both projects were expected to be completed and opened to the public and that rehabilitation works of the Sunyani Airport (Phase I) was about 93% complete and expected to be completed in 2021 for the airport to resume operations.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said as part of the government policy to ensure that all regional capitals had at least an aerodrome to improve connectivity and boost tourism, feasibility studies for the development of an airport in Cape Coast had commenced.

Other sites identified for the construction of aerodromes include Apowa-Mpohor, Yendi, Mole, Navrongo, Paga and Kete Krachi through public private partnerships (PPP).

On transportation, Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu said to ensure safe launching and landing of artisanal fishing, as well as create and maintain hygienic environment and create job opportunities within the fishing communities, a total of eleven landing sites selected for development were at various stages of completion.

He said government also continued its programme of modernisation of the country’s sea ports to position them as the leading container hub within the West African Sub-region.

“At the Tema Port, three berths of the Dedicated Container Terminal (MPS Terminal 3) were completed and are in operation. The remaining berth has progressed ahead of schedule and is expected to be completed in 2021.”

He said “at the Takoradi Port, the development of a container and a Multi-purpose terminal by Ibistek Limited, a wholly owned Ghanaian Company is progressing steadily. The marine and dredging works have been completed and construction of a 600-meter quay wall will be completed in 2021.”

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated that a 30-year concession agreement was executed between the Ghana Shippers’ Authority and Ashanti Port Services Limited to develop an Integrated Logistics Terminal at Boankra.

That, he said would decongest the Tema Port and facilitate transit trade, especially to landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in the context of AfCTFA.

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