Ghana urges African Development Bank to open more offices

Ghana has called on the African Development Bank (AfDB) to open more offices in countries where it operates to ensure the free flow of funds for development projects.

Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, the Upper East Regional Minister, made the call on behalf of the President Mr John Dramani Mahama, at the launch of the AfDB Water project at Dakola in Burkina Faso over the weekend.

He said the decentralization of  the bank’s operations would allow the free flow of funds for projects and avoid the usual request for pertinent approvals to be sought from the Headquarters which often caused undue delays.

He also called on the chiefs, landowners and all other stakeholders to provide land and other resources needed to start worthwhile projects.

“Many projects have failed because our communities have failed to provide land for the funding agency. You must therefore do all that it takes to derive maximum benefit from this project, for water is life”, Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru said.

He said the AfDB had supported Ghana in executing similar projects saying since 1973 when its operations began in the country, it had invested over $1.6 billion on concessionary terms in all sectors of the economy.

“In the Water and Sanitation Sector, the Bank has financed two projects for close to $88.2 million. The Bank’s funding in the water and sanitation sector is fully in line with the country’s Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy”, the Regional Minister said.

He said the Bank’s current project portfolio includes the on-going water supply and sanitation projects accounting for almost 13 per cent of net commitments in the Ashanti Region amongst other areas.

Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru said through the projects, Community Water and Sanitation Development Boards have also been formed and trained for the management of the facilities.

The Project in Dakola which has a sanitation component is mechanised and powered through solar energy and it is expected to help address the acute shortage of portable water in Burkina Faso.

It is estimated at the cost of 134,553, 405 CFA of which the Government of Burkina Faso is expected to provide 20 per cent of the total cost with the ADB bearing the rest.

Earlier at Tiakane, Nahouri Province of Burkina Faso, 20 mechanised boreholes and standing pipes powered through solar energy were commissioned at the cost of 75million CFA.

The Minister, who led a 10-member delegation on behalf of the President, thanked the Burkina Government for the invitation and said the two nations are like two sisters from different mothers adding that “we will continue to share ideas and experiences in order to improve upon our developmental goals”.

Source: GNA