Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance on Monday said that government has initiated the implementation of some projects under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP).
This he said was aimed at accelerating the provision of basic infrastructure in rural and deprived communities. The projects included: 300 small earth dams to support all year round farming activities, 50 pre-fabricated warehouses to improve post-harvest management to be completed by December, 2019, and 1,000 community mechanised solar powered water systems to be completed by September, 2019.
Mr Ofori-Atta stated in the presentation of the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2019 Budget Statement and Economic Policy & Supplementary Estimates in Parliament in Accra.
More Read
The rest are 1,000 community and institutional water closet toilet facilities with mechanised solar powered water systems to be completed by December, 2019, and the construction of 50 rural markets and two urban markets to commence before the end of the year.
The Finance Minister said the Zongo Development Fund also sought among others to improve the quality of life in Zongos and inner-cities through the provision of critical infrastructure, education and training, health and sanitation, support to local businesses and centres of culture, as well as improve security.
Mr Ofori-Atta said government has approved the construction and rehabilitation of water systems, rehabilitation of access roads, paving of alley ways, construction and dredging of drains, construction of bailey bridges, construction of local sewerage networks, construction and rehabilitation and furnishing of basic schools, and construction of institutional and household toilets in the Zongo communities.
He said in addition to the development of infrastructure in the communities, 250 youth in Accra and Kumasi have benefitted from skills training in software development and 50 beneficiaries provided with laptops to establish their own businesses.
“Over 500 women have also been trained in entrepreneurship and business development under the “Zongo Cuisine Promotion Programme” in the Greater Accra region. Participants received training in packaging, food safety, business registration, record keeping, among others,” he said.
The Finance Minister also noted that as part of efforts to ensure equitable and easily accessible universal health coverage, government had established Letters of Credit to procure 275 Ambulances for each constituency.
In addition, contracts were awarded for the construction of 26 clinics which are expected to be completed in December, 2019.
Source: GNA
