Parliament approves loan for Sogakope-Akatsi road
Accra (Greater Accra)
04 December 2002- Mr. Abraham Osei Aidoo, Deputy Majority
Leader, on Tuesday
bemoaned the infrastructural decay and the dwindling industrial base of Tema as
the port city celebrates its fiftieth anniversary.
He said the last city
on the Greenwich meridian is now a pale shadow of itself and called for
interventions to restore the city's pre-eminence in the nation's economy. The
member had read a statement to commemorate the Fiftieth anniversary of the
city.
In 1952, government
acquired the landmass east of Nungua bonded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean
and measuring 63 square miles for the development into the modern city of Tema.
Mr Aidoo said the
development of the acquired land into an industrial, commercial and residential
complex was partly necessitated by the choice of Tema as the site for the
harbour and the Volta Aluminum Company (Valco).
"The presence of
the harbour, its unique landscape and proximity to the Akosombo where most of
the country's hydro-electric power is generated were some of the combination of
factors that made Tema, the haven for all industries."
He said in terms of
contribution to the national economy, Tema would rank highest among all other
cities in the country. "As we celebrate the Fiftieth anniversary of this
great city reputed to be at the center of the world, we must admit that over
the years Tema has lost some of its attraction as the nation lose some of our
dreams that fired the struggle for independence."
Mr Aidoo who is the
MP for Tema West, said: "Tema has lost some of its industries, especially
in textiles due to foreign competition and high cost of production."
"The rail line
to Accra is no more. The drydocks is a pale shadow of what it used to be, the
Chemu and Sakumo Lagoons, which hitherto helped to ensure ecological balance
are now polluted, stagnant and emitting very offensive smell."
He said the once
vibrant workforce both in the factories and in the maritime industry is now
largely redundant adding that "Water supply to the new communities is most
irregular, even as flooding in these areas becomes a regular phenomenon."
Later in the day, the
house adopted a report on the special session of the Council of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union and related meetings held in Geneva, Switzerland from
23-27 September 2002.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
04 December 2002- An urgent call has been made for the enactment of the
National Disability Act in compliance with the constitution with a view to
making the objectives of the National Disability Policy workable.
The National
Disability Policy is a blue- print to achieving the objectives of Article 29
(8) of the Constitution and to advance a national agenda for the promotion and
achievement of mainstream People With Disability (PWD's) in the social,
economic and political life and the equalization of opportunities for a maximum
participation of persons with disabilities.
Alhaji Mohammed
Mumuni, NDC- Kumbungu made the call in a statement in Parliament on "the
plight of persons with disabilities and its implications for national
development and Democracy" to mark the International Day for the Disabled
which falls on 3 December.
He said the World
Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 10 percent of the Ghanaian population
is made up of persons with having varying degrees of disability while the
poverty profile indicates that 10 percent (1.9 million persons) of the
population are trapped in hard-core poverty.
"Because of
their vulnerability, deprivation, poverty and isolation, they live in the
periphery of society in serious danger of suffering social exclusion", he
added. Alhaji Mumuni who is also the Ranking Member for Employment and Manpower
said even as the country's dispensation is advocating a private sector-led and
market-oriented path of development, the vulnerable and disadvantaged segments
of the society were in constant danger of being by-passed, marginalized even
excluded.
He said to therefore,
realise the national vision of social justice, political, social and economic
inclusiveness there was the need for adopting pragmatic policies and
implementation strategies to rescue the disabled from the outer fringes of
society and integrating them into the mainstream life of the country.
The Member said a
successful accomplishment of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS)
targeted for reduction and eventual elimination of malnutrition; water-borne
diseases, maternal and infant mortality, morbidity and lack of primary health
would prevent impairments from arising.
Alhaji Mumuni urged
the Ministry of Employment and Manpower Development to consider specific
allocation of funds under the GPRS, HIPC and the GETFund to the special
Education department of the Ministry of Education for persons with disability.
He said there should
be promotion of access to credit and agricultural services, schools and
rehabilitation centres should be adequately resourced and the Ghana National
Trust Fund re-organised and its profile lifted to make it vibrant for People
with Disabilities (PWD's).
Construction of
infrastructure under the GPRS for architectural designs should recognise
accessibility for PWDs as a fundamental right, promotion of national awareness
to counter attitudinal and communication constraints and cultural barriers.
Mr David Yaw Mensah,
NDC-Atebubu North said in the past the society was prejudiced about the plight
of the disabled attributing their plight to curses of impropriety and as social
outcasts.
He said there was
every indication that it was not the case and that there was ample evidence
that many of the disabled are very intelligent and can contribute to national
development.
Mr Mensah said the
perceptions about the society towards educating the disabled needs to be
reviewed so that they are assisted especially by the District Assemblies to
benefit from basic education.
Mr Modestus Ahiable,
NDC-Ketu North said if diseases and accidents were not well handled they could
lead to various cases of disabilities while proper care should be taken of
gadgets used in the homes to prevent accidents that lead to disabilities.
Mr Eugene Atta
Agyepong, NPP-Abetifi said there was the need for a change of the general
attitude towards the disabled and to minimise their plight. He said it was
disheartening that most of the disabled do not seem to want to be helped and
prefer begging than acquiring any form of earning a livelihood.
Mr Victor Gbeho, Ind.
Anlo said the statistics about the percentage of disabled in the country was
very serious which was an indication that their plight was taken for granted.
He said the conditions of the disabled seems to have become traditional for
them to beg since it seems they have no help from any where and have to beg for
a living and called for initiating an attitudinal change by the society.
Mr Alex Kwaku
Korankye, NPP-Asante-Akim South called for a special tax relief to companies
that employ the disabled as a way of encouraging the utilisation of the service
of the disabled in both the public and civil sectors.
Dr Yaw
Brempong-Yeboah, NPP- Atiwa urged the media to appeal to the public to be
circumspect in doling out monies to beggars on the streets since it encourages
them to continue with their activities of begging.
Mr Stephen Balado
Manu, NPP-Ahafo Ano South cautioned that everybody was a potential disabled
person and so there was the need for the society to ensure that they become an
integral part of the socio-economic development plan of the country.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
04 December 2002- Parliament, by a vote of 106 on Tuesday approved a loan
agreement of 12.8 million Euros between the Government and German Bank for
Reconstruction (KfW) to support the road rehabilitation from Sogakope to
Akatsi.
The loan has an
interest rate of 0.75 per cent per annum, repayment period of 30 years, grace
period of 10 years, and project period of four years and commitment fee of 0.25
per cent per annum on unutilized portion of the loan.
Works under the
project, include improvement of the alignment at the poor sections,
reconstruction of the base material of the entire road length, desilting or
reconstruction of culverts, asphalting of the wearing course, laying of two
metre wide bituminous rated shoulders on each side, and installation of
necessary traffic control devices.
Presenting the
Finance Committee Report on the loan, the Chairman, Eugene Atta Agyepong, said
currently the road, which is a national road with bituminous treated surfacing,
is heavily distressed at several locations.
He said maintenance
activities aimed at providing temporary relief have not been able to strengthen
the road in any way leaving it with several cracks and potholes. He said it
continues to pose trafficking danger to both drivers and the communities living
along the road.
Atta Agyepong said
the Sogakope-Akatsi road also forms an integral part of the trans-West African
Coastal Highway Network, adding that its rehabilitation would further enhance
the socio-economic integration of Ghana and its neighbouring ECOWAS countries.
He said when the road
is rehabilitated; it would provide a safe and reliable road facility for the
travelling public, reduce vehicle operating costs and travel times within and
between the country and her neighbours.
Atta Agyepong noted
that the terms and conditions of the loan were very satisfactory with a
concessionality rate of 72 per cent. The House also, by a resolution of 107
approved a 10 million-dollar loan for the financing of Six Towns' Water Supply
Project in the Eastern Region.
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