According to the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), even though the ABFA received some GH¢358.41 million for the first half of the year, the government spent just GH¢53,136,951 or 15 percent of the amount.

The issues were disclosed as part of PIAC’s findings in its Semi Annual report for 2017.

The Annual Budget Funding Amount is the component of the oil revenue that is allocated for the Finance Ministry to be spent on some identified key priority areas.

For this year, government is seeking to spend the ABFA on five key areas.

They include agriculture; road, rail and other critical infrastructure; PIAC as well as physical infrastructure and services in both the health and education sectors.

But expenditure took a different turn as GH¢17,916,586 or 4 percent was spent on agric.

This involved the development of irrigation infrastructure, construction of Fisheries College in Anomabo, and counterpart funding for the Northern Rural Growth Programme.

Also, only 6 million cedis or 1.7 percent was spent on physical infrastructure and services in education.

Even though an additional 29 million cedis went into the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund, there was no further transfer to the road and railway sectors.

Meanwhile for the first six months of the year, no allocations were made to physical infrastructure and services in health and PIAC.

It is unclear what may have led to the under expenditure.

But PIAC wants the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta to abide by the provisions of the Petroleum Revenue Management laws and update Parliament on the progress of the selected priority areas to ensure conformity with the law.

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By: Pius AmihereEduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

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According to him,  government will make sure there is minimal demolition of houses and machine shops.

[contextly_sidebar id=”vFOq61kjONeF7nJbxfLcTqbLFnMYHxuJ”]The last survey conducted in the area suggested that, about 700 houses and machine shops would have to be demolished for the rail track.

However,  government has reconsidered the design, and the number has been reduced to 120 houses and machine shops.

“As at the last survey from the 9 kilometers, we were looking at over 700 houses and machine shops, but then we have reconsidered the design and we have come to over 120 houses and machine shops….we want to make sure people benefit, we are doing it because of the people here and they must be considered in the process” he said.

He said government was taking a holistic view of the process, by looking at the designs and assessing what can be implemented.

He added that as the project is for the benefit of the residents,  their concerns must be taken into consideration before decisions are taken.

The deputy Minister assured the Ashaiman Timber Market traders  that their petition had been received by the ministry, and that Government was doing its best to address the issues they raised.

“Hopefully, this encounter will be communicated to the Minister, the Minister will carry it on to a higher authority and we will get back to them.”

He finally noted that, deciding on what reservation government would use was very essential, and would have a significant impact on future expansions, for which reason government is applying a great deal of caution on the project.

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By: Farida Yusif/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Residents along Tema-Akosombo rail line will be ‘protected’ – Gov’t appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said the Ministry would explore the legal framework of the local content and participation law to engage the services of engineers in the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”9SWrLjAkeCG95g2tIedrVczf2FT2aphg”]Mr. Ghartey said this when a delegation of engineers from the Ghana Consulting Engineers Association (GCEA) paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Accra.

He noted that the railway sector would become the single largest investor destination for the next four years since the government had decided to revamp the sector to transform the national economy.

The minister noted that the railway sector was once vibrant and productive, which impacted greatly on the economies of Tema, Nsawam, Sekondi-Takoraidi and Tarkwa.

However, he said the railway sector was facing huge challenges including; broken and dysfunctional locomotives, while railway lines had been taken over by squatters and encroachers.

The Minister stated that the government had earmarked some priority projects to transform the sector and that when such projects were fully implemented, would create an industrial hub.

Mr Ghartey said the Ministry was in the process of reviewing the legislative and regulatory framework of the sector to enhance its operations.

“This is important because the sector has been left for years without any activities and we, therefore, have no choice but to work with the private sector to accomplish our vision,”

He said the Railway Development Authority would be divided so that one section would deal with infrastructure needs of the sector adding that the development would change the economic fortunes of the country, with springing up of new cities along rail lines across the country.

Mr Ghartey urged the local engineers to have faith in the government and offer their expertise whenever the need arose.

The local consulting engineers are natural allies of the government and the private sector in the nation’s quest to develop safe and sound infrastructure.

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Source: GNA

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The once productive sector on which some economies including that of Sekondi and Takoradi were built has since the late 90s lost its glory in the transportation industry.

[contextly_sidebar id=”l5BG0tF9Cmdk1QPFFpS6BbUx82q3j2Jt”]While many of the locomotive engines have broken down, hundreds of kilometers of railway lines have been also taken over by squatters and encroachers.

Speaking at the maiden national executive council meeting of the railway workers union, the Minister for railway development assured that “…the best times are yet to come.”

“We are going to transform this sector. The railway will form the backbone of Ghana’s economic transformation. It will lead us from a lower middle income country to a developed country.”

Mr. Ghartey who is also the Member of Parliament for the Essikadu/Ketan constituency in the Western Region further called on the railway workers union to support his ministry to ensure the revival of the rail sector.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘We’ll restore railways to its glorious days’ – Minister appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.