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 Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta (arrowed), Minister of Roads and Highways, cutting the tape for the start of the project
Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta (arrowed), Minister of Roads and Highways, cutting the tape for the start of the project

Work to start on 670-km feeder roads in Upper West

The tape has been cut at Kpongu in the Wa Municipality for work on 670 kilometres of feeder roads linking the urban and the rural areas of the Upper West Regional capital.

The project, which represents one of the components of the European Union Ghana Agriculture Programme (EUGAP) estimated at €35 million, is to be funded from a grant by the European Union and the World Bank.

It is being undertaken in eight districts of the region to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of road asset management and maintenance.

It comprises the rehabilitation and maintenance of a 235-kilometre stretch from Wa West through Wa Municipality to Nadowli-Kaleo.

Other aspects of the project are the Jirapa, Lawra, Daffiama/Bussie stretch of 210 kilometres.

The rest are feeder roads linking the Nandom and Lambussie districts.

These are to improve the interconnectivity between the rural and urban areas, and to facilitate the movement of goods and services in the areas.

All of them are expected to be completed within 42 months.


Access to market

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta, said the project was intended to ensure that farmers had easy access to markets to sell their produce.

"Rehabilitation will be done within the first 24 months and then performance-based maintenance (PBM) activities will then be performed for the next 18 months. PBM will commence once the roads have been rehabilitated, accepted and commissioned," he said.

In a speech delivered on her behalf, the Head of the EU Delegation to Ghana, Ms Diana Acconcia, pledged the support of the EU to the socio-economic development of the northern regions to improve the livelihoods of the people.

She said the completion of the road project would unlock the economic potential of the area by ensuring that crops and other agro produce from the rural areas got easy access to markets in the urban areas to eliminate post-harvest losses.

This intervention would unlock new economic opportunities in the region by increasing access to markets and the trade of commodities, and impact positively on household incomes, she said.

Promoting development

The Country Director of the World Bank, Mr Pierre Laporte, said the project demonstrated the close partnership between the World Bank and Ghana to promote development of the transport sector, which would lead to improvement in the agriculture industry in the region.

"The added funding from the EU enhances considerably the world Bank-led Transport Sector Improvement Projects with earmarked support for the region," he said.

The Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, called for the cooperation of the chiefs and people of the communities where the road projects were to take place to ensure that the projects were completed on time.

He further appealed to the relevant contractors to ensure that the country achieved value for money.

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