115 billion cedis for Accra High Street Project

The Government of Ghana (GOG) has allocated 115 billion cedis towards the construction of selected roads within the Accra Central Business District.The projects include the reconstruction of the Korle Lagoon Bridge, a four-kilometre road stretching from the Lavender Hill near Korlegonno to the Independence Square and one-way pedestrian schemes within the Okaishie Sub District.

The Department of Urban Roads (DUR) is supervising the project, which is being undertaken by China Railway Wuju Group, a Chinese construction firm. Tahal Consulting Engineers (TCE) from Israel through their local subsidiary, Alpha Consulting is the consultant for the project.

Diversions on the road project on Monday worsened the traffic situation in Central part to Accra and the Korle-Bu areas and when the Ghana News Agency visited the project site, roadblocks were mounted at various points within the area, and personnel from the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) were directing traffic.Hundreds of commuters opted to walk to work instead of going on commercial vehicles that were stuck in heavy traffic.

Mr Kwesi Nuama, Road Development Engineer from DUR, who is in charge of the Project told the Ghana News Agency that so far the Government had released a 22 billion cedis as Advance Mobilization Loan (AML) to the consultants to re-start the Project.

He said the project, which took off several years ago but was halted due to lack of funding would now be completed in the next 18 months, adding that the bridge bit of it would be completed in eight months.

Mr Adrian Frantescu, Chief Executive Officer TCE, also told the GNA that as part of the Project, the bridge at Lavender Hill would be expanded and raised up to accommodate the back tides from the sea waves and also be lengthened from the current 30 metres to 66 metres.

He said the bridge would be converted into double dual carriageway to ease traffic to and from Accra.Mr Frantescu noted that the current state of the bridge at Lavender Hill was a death trap, saying that it was on the verge of collapse and that structurally it had failed.

"The bridge is too short and narrow - we are lucky that articulator vehicles do not use this bridge, otherwise it would have collapsed long ago," he said."We will construct a three span bridge, taller enough, with several outlets to ensure easy flow of the back tide from the sea waves." He said in the course of the road construction only the City Engineers office building and the walls of the Customs, Exercise of Preventive Service offices in James Town would be affected. "We need to preserve the historic buildings along that corridor and so we would not touch any of them," he said.

Mr Frantescu said the Project promises to create jobs for both skilled and unskilled personnel in the country, saying that at the moment all the 200 persons employed for the Project were Ghanaians and there was a prospect of an additional 150 jobs for the people in the James Town, Ga Mashie, Chockor, Korlegonno.He said while the Project was underway, the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) would assist to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.

Mr Frantesacu said efforts were being made to prevent the reoccurrence of heavy traffic jams but noted that during the project period traffic would be considerably slow within that area.
Source:GNA

Corruption is Ghana’s biggest headache - Boateng

The Chief Executive Officer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic, Party (NPP), Professor Dr. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, says bribery and corruption is about the biggest problem facing the country.

He said corruption accounts for about 75 percent of the nation’s problems and has therefore called on all Ghanaians to help find a lasting solution to it.Dr. Frimpong-Boateng who was addressing a cross section of the press in Kumasi at the weekend on why he was in politics and his vision for the nation, said he was in politics because he had realised that “we have not done well collectively as a people in terms of development.

”He said in spite of this predicament “we are not addressing the problems that would help to move us forward.“We are not a determined people and not dispassionate as compared to our peer countries like Singapore, Cuba and Malaysia who started their development efforts with us on the same note”, he observed.

He said there was the need for all Ghanaians to find solutions to the problems facing the country to help its socio-economic developmentHe said if developed countries were suppressing the developing nations, then it was all because their survival and well being were not being addressed properly by themselves.

Dr Frimpong-Boateng said the time has come for the nation to have selfless and disciplined people to move the nation forward stressing that Ghanaians have something in them, which when tapped can help the nation to advance.The presidential aspirant said when the time comes to elect leaders for the country Ghanaians should look out for leaders who have good track records, consider their religious principles, character and integrity.
Source:GNA

I am in the Presidential race to move the Nation forward- Professor Boateng

Professor Dr Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the Chief Executive Officer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and presidential Aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) says he is in politics because he has realised that “we have not done well collectively as a people in terms of development.

He said in spite of this predicament “we are not addressing the problems that would help to move us forward. Dr. Frimpong-Boateng was addressing a cross section of the Press in Kumasi on Saturday on why he was in politics and his vision for the nation. “We are not a determined people and not dispassionate as compared to our peer countries like Singapore, Cuba and Malaysia who started their development efforts with us on the same note”, he observed. He said if developed countries were suppressing the developing nations, then it was all because their survival and well being were not being addressed properly by themselves.

Dr Frimpong-Boateng said the time has come for the nation to have selfless and disciplined people to move the nation forward stressing that Ghanaians have something in them, which when tapped can help the nation to advance. The Presidential Aspirant said when the time comes to elect leaders for the country Ghanaians should look out for leaders who have good track records, consider their religious principles, character and integrity.

He said there was the need for all Ghanaians to find solutions to the problems facing the country to help its socio-economic development. Professor Dr. Frimpong-Boateng spoke against bribery and corruption in the country and said corruption accounts for about 75 per cent of the nation’s problems and called on all Ghanaians to help find lasting a solution to it.GNA

Veep opens website to promote transparency in mining industry

Vice President Alhaji Mahama on Monday launched a website to promote efforts to ensure that transparency and accountability become the hallmark of the mining industry in Ghana. The website: http://www.gheiti.gov.gh/, which was the brainchild of the Executive, with support from Germany would showcase information on fiscal inputs and outputs of the industry.

Vice President Mahama launched the Information, Communication and Technology facility in Accra at day's international workshop on Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), launched by the British Prime Minister in South Africa in 2002 to among other things ensure greater transparency and accountability in the exploitation of natural resources. "We all know that this website will be inaccessible to the average Ghanaian.

However, they listen to radio and read local newspapers," he said. Vice President Mahama, therefore, challenged the Independent Aggregator to publish its reports in the mass media or bulletins and newsletters of the district assemblies to "constitute a veritable part of the transparency and accountability process in governance". He said the setting up of a National Steering Committee and the establishment of a Secretariat on EITI called for accountability and transparency in the management of forest resources.

Vice President Mahama said: "Ghana as a signatory to the EITI concept has to ensure that things are done right on the part of the investor, operator and government in a collaborative manner. "To this end, a legislative framework will soon be put in place to give legal backing to the concept, which will then enable Government to give regular budgetary support to the initiative." Referring to the publish-what- you- pay media concept adopted by the Ghana Chamber of Mines for mining companies, Vice President Mahama asked the Chamber to improve on the notion by adding: "Restore -what-you damage" in order to reduce tensions associated with mining activities in some local communities.

This attracted cheers. He said Ghana had introduced generous incentive packages and a fiscal regime to boost the mining industry. Some of these incentives include royalty payments of three per cent on production; loss carry forward for five years and capital allowance of 80 per cent in the first year of operation while the rest is spread over the lifetime of the mine.

"Its is common knowledge that the price of gold has increased steadily in recent times, yet mining companies continue to pay three per cent royalty to Government. One would have expected an increase in royalty payments based on the sliding scale of three and six per cent. "This is not being done and it is of concern to Government," he said.GNA