Bussiness
Govt releases 68 million euros for works on Manso-Huni Valley railway – Amewu
the Minister of Railways Development, on Wednesday, announced that government has paid 68 million euros to Amandi Holdings Limited to begin construction works on the Manso-Huni Valley rail line in the Western Region.
Mr Amewu said this at a media briefing on the Government’s strategy to mobilise funds for its railway projects.
The project forms part of a standard gauge rail line between Takoradi Harbour and Huni Valley.
It will provide 60km of single track lines, eight basic stations along the existing line from Amantin to Huni Valley.
There will also be access roads, CCTV and access control, backup generator and water tanks
.
The project will also include 10km of loop lines and stations’ double lines to improve availability of the line for express trains.
Mr Amewu, however, reiterated that the government could not fund the construction of a 12-billion-dollar sky-train project in the next three years because its balance sheet could not support that.
He said constructing a sky-train could cost between 11 and 12 million dollars per kilometre, noting that considering the government’s current balance sheet and fiscal space, it would be impossible to undertake such a project.
“Constructing a sky-train is not like building a road so, if we consider a period of three years, it is impossible. Sometimes, we have to be honest and objective and that’s why I said for the period of three years, it is not possible,” the Minister emphasised.
The Minister refuted claims that the government had signed a concessionaire agreement with a South African company to build a sky-train in Ghana, and explained that, it was rather a Memorandum of Understanding, which is not binding.
He also updated the public on the various ongoing railway projects across the country including, the 670-kilometre Central Spine Railway Line from Kumasi to Paga estimated at three billion dollars; Trans-ECOWAS Railway line from Afloa to Elubo, and the 1,100-kilometre Ghana-Burkina Faso Railway Interconnectivity Project.
The Minister stated that the rehabilitation of the section of Accra to Tema rail line was completed in December 2018 and provided shuttle services while the Achimota to Nsawam railway line was completed in December 2019.
He indicated that the 97.7-kilometre Tema to Mpakadan section, which falls under the Mpakadan-Ouagadougou rail line project, was 90 per cent complete.
As part of government’s efforts of building human capacity to maintain the railway infrastructure, Mr Amewu said, the Old Railway Training Institute in Sekondi was rehabilitated and upgraded to award degrees in Engineering.
Additionally, two out of the seven Railway Location Workshop Complex for maintenance of locomotives, wagons, and coaches had been refurbished while the remaining five workshops were ongoing refurbishment, the Minister stated.
Mr Amewu reiterated government’s commitment to revamping the country’s railway infrastructure to create jobs and transform the economy.
Mr Amewu added that sources for funding railway infrastructure had become very difficult due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, therefore, the only way Ghana could fund its railway projects was through payment of levies and taxes by the citizens.
“Infrastructure projects all over the world are funded by the citizens and so, if we, the citizens, decide to build our infrastructure projects, we can do it.
“We, the citizens, are the development agents and the only way we can fund such projects is through internally-generated funds by paying our levies and taxes,” the Minister added. -GNA
Ghana’s gold and minerals sector is set for a major spotlight as Meetings. Co, in partnership with key industry stakeholders, announces the Mining & Minerals Convention 2025, scheduled from August 26-27, 2025, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra.
Held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Ghana’s Gold Industry,”‘ the Convention will convene government leaders, regulators, miners, refiners, investors, sustainability partners, innovators, and responsible mining, and global competitiveness,policy experts to explore strategies that position Ghana’s gold industry for long-term growth.
The two-day convention will feature presidential and ministerial keynote addresses, industry thought leadership, technical paper presentations, policy dialogues, fireside chats, exhibitions, and high-level networking sessions.
Convention delegates can anticipate a dynamic and insightful experience, marked by thought leadership from leading policymakers and regulators, in-depth discussions on key topics such as sustainability, ESG, digital gold, and responsible sourcing, as well as valuable opportunities to forge public-private partnerships and investment deals.
Moreover, the event will offer practical action points aimed at unlocking greater economic value for Ghana.
The 2025 edition will be supported by a strong coalition of strategic partners, including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, GoldBod, the Minerals Income and Investment Fund (MIIF), and the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI).
The Minister for Finance Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson has disclosed that a sum of nine hundred and Eighty-Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Five thousand and Seventy-Three Ghana Cedis (GHS987,965,073.00) from the Consolidated Fund into the District Assembly Common Fund Account, being the first quarter amount due to the DACF.
Furthermore, the Finance Minister informed the House that a total amount of Two Billion, Thirty- Three Million, Four Hundred and Sixty-Nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Seven Ghana Cedis (GHS2,033,469,607) has been disbursed to the National Health Insurance Fund.
While the Ghana Education Trust Fund has also received a total of Two Billion, Seven and Ten Million, Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Ghana Cedis (GHS2,710,227,947.00) for the months January, February, March and April,2025.
The Finance Minister disclosed this in his statement to Parliament on the payments to statutory funds on the floor of the House.
In addition, he cautioned that the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund is required to ensure that 80% of this amount is transferred directly to the Assemblies without fail and expenditure returns submitted to the Ministry of Finance before subsequent releases will be made.
He added that Members are encouraged to monitor the utilization of these amounts sent to their respective Assemblies in line with the approved guidelines by Cabinet.
In his closing remark, Ato Forson said he’s going to take the concerns of the House seriously.
For his part, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga made known the President’s prioritization of women in the country stating that President Mahama is “Pro-women”.
This is due to the fact that women are going to be the core beneficiaries from the expenditures going to be made by the MMDA’s, he added.
The Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin questioned the Finance Minister why road contractors have not been paid for more than five months. He said the Minister must not be applauded for since the allocation of these funds were long overdue.
