The Ministry of Roads and Highway has expressed a dim view of various reports circulating on social media and online portals to the effect that road constructions in the country will be suspended due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
According to the Ministry, no such statement attributed to the Minister or any other official from the Ministry of Roads and Highways has ever been made.
It urged the public to disregard the said statement and treat it with the utmost contempt that it deserves.
“It is important to note that currently there are road projects on-going throughout the country,” the Ministry said in a statement and assured the Ghanaian public of its commitment of making 2020, the Year of Roads.
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The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, was reported to have hinted the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus in China has affected major activities in relation to the various projects funded by the Sinohydro deal.
The reports quoted the Minister as saying officials from China could not travel to Ghana to perform their roles in relation to the deal.
“It’s understandable, the officials should have come from China to join us to perform these exercises in relation to Sinohydro [but] because of the manifestation of the deadly disease that certainly has affected a lot of things,” Mr. Amoako-Atta is quoted as saying.
The minister was said to have indicated that the outbreak has not affected the facility itself and that the Chinese government has communicated their full assurance that the projects will continue.
“The government had full assurance that the project will continue. Pretty soon arrangements will be in place to cut the sod for the other six projects under the first phase of the project,” he said.
Parliament approved a $2 billion Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) between Ghana and Sinohydro Corporation Limited for the construction of priority infrastructure projects.
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The facility, a project financing arrangement, was laid in parliament in 2018 was to be used to improve the road infrastructure of the country to reduce travel time, congestion, vehicle operating cost, accidents and the cost of doing business.
The first phase of the project, costing $646.6 million involves ten lots including the Tamale Interchange project, for which the President has already cut the sod.
Other projects under Phase 1 include the construction of Accra Inner City Roads with a total of eighty-four (84) kilometres of roads located in Trobu, Anyaa-Sowutoum, Dome-Kwabenya, Adenta and Teshie to be constructed.
It also includes the construction of the Kumasi and Mampong Inner City Roads with a total of one hundred 100) kilometres of inner-city roads involved.
In Kumasi, the affected road networks are in Manhyia, Suame, Tafo Pankrono, Asokwa, Kwadaso, Oforikrom, Subin, Nhyiaeso and Bantama.
