Parliament has approved a concession agreement between the Ministry of Roads and Highways, as the Contracting Authority, and Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, as the concessionaire, for the Accra-Kumasi Expressway project.

The government says the current state of the Accra-Kumasi highway is riddled with potholes, uneven surfaces and lacks adequate lighting systems, making it more of a death trap, hence the need for the construction of a six-lane dual carriage expressway along the stretch.

Debating the Road and Transport Committee’s report on the agreement, the Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah charged the government not to neglect the Accra-Kumasi Road project.

“This project is GOG funded through GIF and I think it’s a beautiful framework so that the money is made available to GIF subcontracts and GIF can take the money back as a commercial project. But it is GOG still and the old Accra Kumasi highway, if I’m correct is also GOG.

“What it means is that the one that we are struggling to Pay is about 60, 65 to 70% complete, but there are difficulties in servicing the payment is going to be drawing from the same port that this supposed 30 billion plus 13 billion which we are told is ring fenced are also drawing from. Mr Speaker, I think it is important that while pursuing this new one the old road is not left to hang.

“We are told that it’s only missing a number of things including lighting and other things and of course about 40% or 35% of work to complete. If they are both going to draw from the same source, especially now that the revenues haven’t hit the projections, let’s be careful so that we don’t have both projects,” he stated.