News
Roads Minister sets up 5-Member Committee to review activities of Axle Load Operations in the country
The Minister for Roads and Highways,Governs Kwame Agbodza has inaugurated a 5-member committee to review the operations of the Axle Load Control Programme to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency.
The Committee includes representatives from National Security, Private Haulage Operators, the Ghana Highway Authority, the Ministry of Transport and the Ghana Standards Authority.
The Committee is expected to identify systemic and operational issues that require reforms, interrogate any violations of regulatory provisions, evaluate the management of collected fines, and provide suitable recommendations to improve the Programme.
Overloading heavy cargo vehicles has been identifed as a major factor in the premature deterioration of road pavements and increased traffic accidents.
As a result, the Ministry is seeking to reform the Axle Load Control Programme, which is facing numerous operational challenges.
The Ministry has assured the public of its commitment to enhancing road safety and mitigating overloading to ensure road pavements fulfil their intended lifespan.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Renowned Ghanaian businessman and an indigene of the Upper East Region, Awentami Paul Afoko, has called for the construction of an international airport in the Upper East Region, arguing that it is critical to unlocking the region’s agricultural and export potential.
Addressing stakeholders at the Regional Development Framework validation forum in Bolgatanga, Mr. Afoko said the Upper East Region possesses enormous economic opportunities that can be harnessed through strategic investment in agriculture, infrastructure,, and trade.
“As an entrepreneur, I have learnt that governments do not create businesses; entrepreneurs do. Government’s responsibility is to create the environment within which businesses can thrive,” he said.
He highlighted irrigation projects and commercial farming as key drivers of economic transformation, urging greater investment in year-round production of vegetables, fruits, and flowers for international markets.
“The challenge is not finding buyers. The challenge is producing at sufficient scale throughout the year,” he stated.
Mr. Afoko also called for investment in warehouses, cold-chain facilities, packaging centres and standardized production systems to improve the competitiveness of local products, including shea butter, basket weaving, and textiles.
“We must organise ourselves to produce standardised products and invest in warehouses, cold chains, and packaging so that we become year-round suppliers,” he said.
He stressed that an international airport would significantly boost exports from the region.
“We need an airport urgently so that flowers from the Upper East can reach Europe before Kenyan flowers do. Burkina Faso produces strawberries, and we can do the same,” he remarked.
According to Mr. Afoko, the region’s strategic location also presents opportunities to expand cross-border trade with neighbouring countries through stronger economic diplomacy.
“There is the need for an international airport in the region to enable us to seize export opportunities. Our strategic location also presents enormous opportunities to strengthen border trade,” he added.
He called on the government, diplomats, and development partners to work together to position the Upper East Region as a major agricultural and export hub in West Africa.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) successfully contained and extinguished a diesel tanker fire at Asutuare Junction in the Eastern Region following a distress call received on June 28, 2026.
Four fire pumps from Somanya, VRA, Akosombo and Gbetsile were deployed, with the first crew arriving at 0530 hours. The fire was brought under control and later fully extinguished.
The tanker and its contents were completely destroyed. One person, believed to be the driver, was found burnt to death at the scene, while the driver’s mate was rescued and transported to Akuse Hospital for treatment.
The operation was led by StnO II Achisey of the Somanya Fire Station. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
