The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has
promised to ensure value for money on all projects if voted into office. Unlike President Mahama and his NDC, who inflate the cost of projects,
the NPP said, they will ensure that Ghanaians get value-for-money and that
Ghanaian businesses have a pride of place in developing our
infrastructure.
Addressing journalists in Accra on Tuesday, the Chairman
of the NPP Sector Committee on Infrastructure and second Deputy Speaker of
Parliament, Joe Ghartey, said the party has a comprehensive plan to improve the
country’s infrastructure.
He mentioned some of the plans as follows;
I. INFRASTRUCTURE
NPP will embark on a
sustainable, integrated, infrastructural development programme. This will
address infrastructure that supports a modern road network, affordable housing,
water systems, aviation, ports & harbours, railways and ICT. This programme
will create jobs and bring prosperity.
Contract overpricing, and the
gross abuse of the Public Procurement Act, through questionable sole sourcing,
has characterised Ghana’s infrastructural development in the last few years. Of
two identical sets of teachers’ bungalows next to each other in Dambai Teacher
Training College, the one constructed by NPP in 2007 costed GH₵195,000, while
the one constructed by the NDC in 2011 cost 4.6 times more at GH₵900,000.It is
no wonder that given the resources at the disposal of the Mahama government,
Ghanaians have not seen a commensurate quantum of infrastructural development
taking place. Furthermore, in real terms, Ghana has also seen a decline in
infrastructural expenditure. From an average of 11.5% of GDP between 2001 to
2008, to 5.7% of GDP between 2009 and 2015 and 4.2% of GDP in 2016.
The
NPP’s Integrated Infrastructural Development Programme shall have the following
key components;
a. A National Asset Protection
Project
b. Interconnected Roads, Railways, Ports & Harbours
Systems
c. An Aviation Hub
d. A Water for All
Programme
e. Flood Control and Coastline Protection
f.
Mainstreamed ICT, and
g. Affordable Housing for
All.
The National Asset Protection Project
Under the
National Asset Protection Project, a comprehensive audit of uncompleted
Government projects throughout the country will be undertaken. A special-purpose
Asset Securitisation Vehicle shall be established to hold these assets and
leverage them to raise funds for their completion. Under this Project, countless
jobs will be created for student as well as qualified architects, draughtsmen,
property valuers and related professionals throughout Ghana.
Interconnected Roads, Railways, Ports & Harbours Systems and
Aviation
The lack of a modern, integrated and well established transport
infrastructure, of roads, railways, ports & harbours and aviation, isone of
the weakest links in our development. The existing transport infrastructure is
wholly inadequate, colonial in character and is not adequately integrated. We
will integrate Ghana’s transportation infrastructure. This will make the
movement of goods and people more efficient and effective. It will boost the
economy and generally generate hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect
jobs.
Roads and Highways
In this sector we shall improve the road
network and close the missing links in the network. We shall systematically tar
gravel roads in areas of high population density, agricultural production and
tourism potential. We shall tar all Cities and District Capitals and
progressively tar all other major towns in Ghana.
We must end the
nightmare of traffic congestion which is engulfing our cities and some of our
highways. To this end we shall widen major arterial roads into multi-lane
carriageways, construct lay-bys and dedicated traffic lanes for high occupancy
buses and construct by-passes and interchanges at major intersections such as
Point 7 in Tamale, Tema Motorway Roundabout, Suame Roundabout, Oforikrom
Intersection and Takoradi PTC Roundabout. We shall also improve and increase
access to the public transportation system.
Railways
This sector
will completely be overhauled. The Western and Eastern Lines will be revamped.
We shall also expand the railway network from Kumasi to Paga. We shall build a
Tema-Akosombo Rail Line and tie it in with a revived and expanded Volta Lake
Transport System. This opportunity to transport goods and people from the South
to the North and vice versa, through road, rail and water transport is a clear
example of our integrated approach to transport infrastructure.
Ports
and Harbours
We shall make our ports and harbours more efficient and
cheaper to use by fully automating the processes which will reduce time spent at
the ports. Port charges and fees will also be reduced. We shall continue the
expansion of the Tema Harbour. The Takoradi Harbour will be extended to Sekondi
and a logistics centre will be developed in Sekondi. With the private sector, we
shall construct two new harbours in James Town and Keta and the inland port in
Buipe. The Volta River will be developed into a major transportation artery in
conjunction with the private sector. Modern ferry ports will be developed at
locations such as Buipe, Yapei, Yeji, Makango, Kwadwokurom, Kete-Krachi, Adowso,
Ekyemanfrom, Akateng and Boso.
Aviation Hubs
We shall make our
airports international and regional hubs. We shall also increase domestic air
travel as part of our integrated transport system. We will achieve this through
policies such as improving and increasing our transport infrastructure
generally, reducing the price of aviation fuel and abolishing the 17.5 % VAT on
domestic air fares, among others.
Our Water for All Programme
We
are proud of our track record in the provision of water to several communities
across the country. In addition to several other interventions from2001 to 2008,
NPP under President Kufuor, undertook major water system improvements in Cape
Coast, Baafikrom, Koforidua, Kumasi, Kwanyarku, Ada, Sogakope, Accra and Tamale.
Unfortunately a large number of Ghanaians still do not have access to potable
water. Under our Water for All Agenda we seek to ensure that every Ghanaian has
access to portable water. We shall, among others, sink at least 25, 000 new
boreholesand 300 small town water supply systems and upgrade antiquated water
supply systems in our towns and cities.
Tackling Flooding and Coastline
and Inland Erosion
We cannot continue to have a knee jerk reaction to
perennial flooding in Accra and other parts of Ghana. In the short term we shall
construct storm drains in Accra and other cities to deal with the recurring
devastating floods. As a long term and permanent solution, we shall establish a
National Hydrological Authority. The Authority shall plan, develop, maintain,
protect and administer drainage and flood control measures. The Authority shall
be responsible for constant dredging and desilting of our drains and water ways
to ensure a free flow of water. This will bring an end to the ad hoc, after the
event and uncoordinated approach to perineal flooding. The Authority will also
be responsible for protecting our inland and sea coastlines from
erosion.
Mainstreaming ICT
NPP shall put ICT at the centre of the
national development agenda. We shall register every resident in Ghana within
the first yearunder the National Identification Scheme. We shall automate the
process involved in accessing public services at both the national and local
government level and we shall facilitate nationwide access to mobile networks.
We shall develop ICT Incubator Hubs in our Regional capitals to create business
opportunities in the private sector. Through Government procurement we shall
support local ICT companies, among other measures.Our ICT programme will open up
the economy and create jobs and wealth.
Affordable Housing for
All
Shelter is one of the basic needs of life and as a nation we are
woefully lacking in this sector. Housing that meet the needs and is within the
budget of the average Ghanaian for purchase or rental is not easily available.
This has to change and this we will change through various interventions. These
interventions will include providing serviced land banks to real estate
companies and individuals for development, offering tax incentives to local real
estate developers and producers of building materials, abolishingthe 5% VAT on
real estate sales, and working with identifiable groups such as the Trades Union
Congress (TUC), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Ghana National
Association of Graduate Teachers, Farmer’s Groups and other Identifiable groups
to facilitate the construction of homes for their members through, amongst
others, the provision of appropriate financing guarantees. We shall also promote
and develop the use of local material in the construction of homes. We shall
facilitate the development of an active mortgage market to expand access of
mortgage loans to Ghanaians.
“Give us the opportunity, so together, we
can work to change Ghana for the better,” Mr. Joe Ghartey concluded.
|
| |
|
|
|
