Minister On  Night Road Inspection

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon. Joe Gidisu, together with some engineers from the Ministry and its agencies undertook a night roads inspection on Thursday 23rd February 2012. The night inspection was to monitor the 18km pavement laying work from the Tema Oil Refinery to Zenu and other road projects in the Greater Accra Region.  The exercise took place at night because of the activities of tanker and other heavy vehicles during the day time which hinder the work of the road contractors.

The roads inspected were the Tema Oil Refinery rehabilitation projects, the old Ada roads at Kalgon and the re-asphalting of the spintex road.  The project which is 62% complete was initially estimated at GH¢ 5.8 million but was changed to GH¢ 12.5 million due to the redesigning and additional works.

The Hon. Minister commended the contractors working on the projects who have shown high level of professionalism and competence to keep up with their good works.  Adding that “Ghanaian contractors have shown they can match up the big foreign construction companies”. He added that road construction is not only in urban areas and that as part of the “Better Ghana Agenda” more roads are under construction in the regions.

Minister Pays Working Visit To The Volta Region

The Minister for Roads and Highways Hon. Joe Gidisu, as part of his road inspection exercise, paid a three day working visit to the Volta Region from the 14th to 16th March 2012.

The Minister was accompanied by heads of the Ministry, Department of Urban Roads, Department of Feeder Roads and the Ghana Highway Authority.  They visited Agbozume, Sogakope, Adidome, Aflao and Ho.  They also inspected the Asuokwakwa river project, the Hohoe-Baikai – New Ayoma project as well as the Kete-Krachi-Buya phase 1 and 2 projects.

The Delegatin also visited Asikuma Tanyigbe shia-Tokokoe, Kpedze-Bame, Seva and Anyako, where the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces is creating access roads within those areas.

The North-South trade corridor road which starts from Kulungugu on the North Earthen Boarder of Burkina Faso and ends at the Tema motorway was also inspected by the delegation.  The 695 kilometer road when completed would improve integration between the Upper East, Northern and Volta Region, as well as Mali and Niger.  The North South trade corridor road has been packed into 7 lots based on the current conditions of the road.  The 7 lots are:

Lot 1:        Tema Roundabout-Kpong-Atimpoku-Asimuma Junction (91.0km)
Lot 2:        Asikuma Junction-Hohoe – Jasikan – Poase cement 9147.2 km)
Lot 3:        Poase Cement – Dodo – Pepesu – Nkwanta (78.2 km)
Lot 4:        Nkwanta – Oti Damanko ) (70.9km)
Lot 5:        Oti-Damanko – Bimbilla – Yendi (86km)
Lot 6:        Yendi – Gushiegu – Nakpanduri (123.2 km)
Lot 7:        Nakpanduri – Bawku – Kulungugu (98.5km)

Ghana Road Fund Secretariat

The Ghana Road Fund Secretariat which is under the Ministry of Roads and Highways held its annual meeting at Sokode-Lokoe near Ho on Thursday 15th May 2012.
Hon. Joe Gidisu, Minister in charge of Roads and Highways in his address asked the Road Fund Management Board to deepen its partnership with government to disburse funds to maintain the Country’s total road network of about 67,000 km.

He said the construction of roads and its subsequent maintaince required huge financial investment but noted with concern that the road sector which formed 95% of the total transport system in the country lacked the necessary funds.

He pointed out that the country’s annual budgetary provision for road maintaince was inadequate and therefore called for road users to help partner government to maintain the roads.  He disclosed that the total revenue generated in 2011 by the Road Fund was approximately GH¢ 204 million.

He noted that this was an improvement on the previous years since revenue generated of 2010 was GH¢ 182 Million and that of 2009 was GH¢139 Million.  He added that, the significant increase was due to the road and bridge tolls, vehicle registration fees and international transit fees collected.

The Minister said a challenge facing his sector was that out of the GH¢ 326 million total budget submitted by the various road agencies in his sector for major and minor road renovation projects, only GH¢ 94 million was given by the Fund, leaving an amount of GH¢ 232 million. This was due to budgetary constraints.

He added that the Road Fund could currently sustain only 60% of road maintaince, leaving the rest of the 40% of the road network in the country unattended to.

He said the cumulative effects of the backlog over a long period could have adverse consequences on the road assets which will come with it associated cost.

He noted that increasing cost of road works, misuse and vandalising of road infrastructure and usage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by vehicles without levy are some of the other challenges facing the roads sector.

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