The Minority in Parliament has expressed concern over potential risks following the approval of a concession agreement between the government and Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited for the construction of a new expressway.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, urged the government to carefully prioritise revenue allocation to ensure that both the new expressway and the ongoing upgrade of the existing Accra-Kumasi highway are executed successfully.
He warned that drawing funds for both projects from the same government coffers could lead to delays, incomplete work, or even the abandonment of one of the roads.
“This project is GOG funded through GIF, and I think it’s a beautiful framework so that the money is made available to GIF, GIF subcontracts, and GIF can take the money back as a commercial project,” Mr Oppong Nkrumah said.
“But it is GOG still, and the old Accra-Kumasi highway, if I’m correct, is also GOG. What it means is that the one we are struggling to pay, about 60, 65 to 70 percent complete, is going to be drawing from the same pot as this supposed 30 billion plus 13 billion, which we are told is ring-fenced.”
He highlighted that the old highway, which requires lighting and has about 35 to 40 percent of construction work pending, must not be neglected.
“If they are both going to draw from the same source, especially now that revenues haven’t hit projections, let’s be careful so that we don’t have both projects hanging,” he cautioned.
Responding to the concerns, Roads Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza reassured Parliament that the existing highway would continue to receive the attention it deserves while the new expressway project proceeds.
“The Accra-Kumasi project will be continued, and I took time to explain to colleagues. The new alignment is an alternative to the existing alignment. The ECOWAS and AU protocols say that when you build an expressway, you are allowed to charge a certain level of toll to recover the cost. But you must have an alternative that if somebody wants to go to Kumasi in six hours, they will also have an alternative to go in six hours. Those who want to go in two hours should also have the alternative. This is all it is about,” Mr Agbodza explained.
He further stressed the strategic importance of the route: “I agree with my colleague. There is no road in Ghana more important than the road between Accra and Kumasi. And indeed, we are doing something that we will be proud of.”
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