Ghana Parliament okays €8.6m facility for five new polyclinics

Parliament has giving the Ghana government the go-ahead to secure €8.6 million loan facility from UniCredit Bank, Austria AG, for the construction and equipping of five new polyclinics in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana.

The facility is expected to be used to implement the phase III of the polyclinics development project, according to a publication by  the Information Services Department July 20, 2012 which was posted on the government’s official website.

Major components of the projects include civil works, installation of medical equipment and training of staff as well as provision of curative services.

Parliament also approved the waiver of VAT and taxes amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of €1,785,856.00 on the equipment and materials to be imported under the loan facility, the ISD said.

Beneficiary communities under the project include Kwatire, Wanfie, Nkwankwanta,Dormaa and Tekyimantia..

The facility, which is interest free, has a grace period of seven years, a repayment period of 10 years, maturity period of 17 years, commitment fee of 0.25% and a management fee of 0.50%, the state-run ISD indicated.

The project is expected to help Ghana strengthen key interventions aimed at achieving the MDG four and five.

By Ekow Quandzie