Accra: President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the 175.6km Accra-Kumasi Expressway construction project will be financed through locally generated funds. This significant infrastructure development is part of the Government of Ghana's Big Push infrastructure programme, aimed at improving connectivity between the major cities of Accra and Kumasi.
According to Ghana News Agency, President Mahama revealed during the official ceremony of the handover report of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway clearing task at Kwaso near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, that the Minister of Finance has allocated $2 billion for this project. The funds are currently secured in a special account at the Bank of Ghana, ensuring that financial resources are readily available for the project's execution.
The Accra-Kumasi Expressway is set to enhance travel efficiency, reducing travel time to approximately two hours between the two cities. The Ministry of Roads and Highways, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, has engaged military engineers to conduct pre-construction activities, adhering to the Ghana Armed Forces' constitutional mandate to support national development.
President Mahama emphasized that the project would not face financial hurdles, as all contractor certificates will be promptly settled. He assured, "This is our own money. We have not gone to borrow money from anywhere. This money is the money of the taxpayers of Ghana."
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson has guaranteed that the full amount required for the project's completion will be available by the end of the year. Additionally, the government plans to extend the expressway to northern Ghana, further enhancing the nation's infrastructure network.
Local leader Nana Osei Fosu Adutwum II, Kwasohene, praised President Mahama for initiating the expressway project and urged Ghanaians to support the President's developmental efforts. He also requested the establishment of one of the 16 new Senior High Schools and a nursing training school in Kwaso, highlighting that land is available for these educational facilities.