By Monitoring Desk
Three memorable incidents, one a unifier of the country-football- and the two others meant to better the lot of Ghanaians, greeted the 78th birthday celebration of President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, yesterday.
The Ghana Black Stars crashed a star-studded Super Eagles team to secure qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later in the year.
Interim Ghana coach Otto Addo paraded a young and talented squad to win against the Eagles at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
The Black Stars produced remarkable defensive display to edge their sworn rivals on the away goal rule at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Tuesday evening.
Thomas Partey’s 11: 17 seconds strike then broke the deadlock with a thunderous strike which Nigeria goalkeeper Francis Uzoho failed to keep out. Jordan Ayew quickly released a pass to Gideon Mensah who rolled it to Partey for the opener.
Eleven minutes after, Nigeria levelled after Victor Osimhen received the ball on the other side,
The Black Stars win against their Nigeria counterpart made country erupt in joy following the qualification of the team to the world cup.
E.Levy
More so, Parliament approved the controversial Electronic Transactions (E-Levy) Bill.
This decision was reached after the Consideration Stage was completed by a Majority-sided House on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.
It was considered under a certificate of urgency.
President Akufo-Addo is expected to assent to the bill soon.
The tax which has become a subject of debate among Ghanaians is expected to rake in close to ¢6 billion in tax revenue for the country.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has already hinted that its structures have been revised and ready to ensure mobilization of the income.
The Finance Minister yesterday pushed for the adoption at a reduced rate of 1.5% from the initial 1.75% amid a Minority walkout.
From the onset, the Minority had accused the Majority Caucus of smuggling into the Order Paper the consideration of the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).
According to the Tamale South MP, E-levy was not enlisted in Parliament’s business statement for this week.
He questioned why the Majority will pull such a surprise on the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislators.
But Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei-Asare, urged Members of Parliament to join hands in passing the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) Bill to enhance the country’s economic recovery process.
According to her, Ghanaians have already accepted the tax revenue measure and expect its passage.
This, she stated, will help address domestic challenges derailing growth of the local economy, a development which has led to a high cost of living in the country.
But after a 30-minute break, the Minority Leader announced that his side will have nothing to do with the Bill.
He maintained that the outcome will bring untold hardship to the populace. On that note, he led the NDC MPs to vacate the chamber.
After this development, the House, despite the Minority’s absence embarked on a speedy consideration and amendment of a few changes in the bill following which the motion was moved to accept it.
In a voice vote, the Minority sided Parliament admitted the E-Levy Bill.
“Honourable members, the Electronic Transfer Levy Bill 2021 duly read the third time and passed,” the Speaker said.
Tamale Interchange C’ssioned
Meanwhile, Prtesident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, also commissioned the Tamale Interchange, the fourth interchange commissioned by Government since 2017.
“I am delighted to be back again, this time, on my birthday, to commission the Tamale Interchange, which has been completed three (3) months ahead of schedule and on budget, in the midst of a global pandemic which has brought considerable disruption to every phase of national life,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He continued, “the Tamale Interchange is the fourth interchange constructed since I came into office, following the completion of the Tema Motorway Phase 1 Interchange, Obetsebi Lamptey Phase1 Interchange and the 4-tier Pokuase Interchange”.
The Tamale Interchange is a pre-stressed concrete continuous bridge, with very few joints to enhance driving comfort. It has involved the construction of some 1.1 kilometres of roads on the Interchange, the provision of good drainage systems, the erection of streetlights, and ten (10) kilometres of asphaltic overlay around the Interchange.
Constructed by M/S Sinohydro, the Tamale Interchange has provided prime urban space under the Interchange, which, the President said, has to be put to good use for the benefit of the country.
President Akufo-Addo told the gathering, including the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and Ya-Naa Mahama Abukari II, that under the Sinohydro project, Government signed a Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) with Sinohydro for the delivery of US$2 billion worth of priority infrastructure projects across the country, in exchange for the delivery of Ghanaian manufactured aluminium products to Sinohydro.
“This has led, inter alia, to the establishment of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC), a statutory public corporation, to oversee the development of the exploitation of the full value chain of our bauxite resources, so we can have a vibrant aluminium industry in Ghana, and ensure that we live up to our end of the barter transaction. This innovative arrangement, the first of its kind on the continent, is not going to add to our country’s debt stock,” the President said.
This Interchange, according to him, is a good example of the excellent relations that the Republic of Ghana enjoys with the People’s Republic of China.
“May these relations long endure, and I thank the President of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Xi Jinping, for his birthday wishes. I would respectfully ask the Chinese Ambassador to inform the President that I have received his message with happiness,” he added.
Sinohydro Project
Under Phase One of the Sinohydro Project, a total of four hundred and forty-one kilometres (441km) of roads and two interchanges were to be constructed, for which Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia commissioned the Lot 8 projects under the Sino Hydro Project, which involved the upgrading of sixty-eight kilometres (68kms) of selected feeder roads in the Ashanti and Western Regions, last Friday, 25th March.
President Akufo-Addo noted that seven (7) interchanges, namely Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange Phase2; PTC Roundabout Interchange; Nungua Interchange -Part of the La Beach Road widening Project-Lot 2; Adjiriganor Overpass; Flower Pot Interchange; Tema Motorway Interchange Phase 2; and
Suame Interchange in Kumasi are either ongoing or planned to start this year:
Apart from the construction of the Interchanges, Government has undertaken critical road projects to improve urban mobility across the country, which will reduce travel times on our highways.
These include construction of some one thousand, two hundred kilometres (1,200kms) of asphalt overlay works in my first term of office. Beneficiary cities include Accra, Kumasi, Tema, Cape Coast, Sekondi-Takoradi and Hohoe. In Accra, some of the areas that have benefitted include Weija-Gbawe, Dansoman, Abossey Okai, Osu, Adentan, Bubuashie, Sakumono and Mempeasem.
As part of the critical roads project, some selected roads in Tamale, Yendi, Walewale, Gambaga, Nalerigu and Damongo have been asphalted. The Ministry of Roads and Highways has programmed to complete one thousand, five hundred kilometres (1,500 kms) of asphalt overlay works between 2021 and 2024.
Other projects include the rehabilitation of the one hundred and six (106) kilometre Tamale to Yendi Road by M/S China Water and Electric; the rehabilitation of the sixty-two-kilometre (62km) Yendi to Zabzugu Road by China Jianxhi Ltd; and the rehabilitation of six hundred and seventy kilometres (670kms) of feeder roads in the Upper West Region.
The remaining are the reconstruction of the Tamale to Walewale Road Phase 1, which will improve the section between Savelugu and Walewale. Work will commence in the second quarter of this year. The section between Tamale and Savelugu shall be widened into a dual carriageway; commencement of the dualisation of the Sekondi/Adiembra Roads in Sekondi-Takoradi in the second quarter of 2022; rehabilitation of Agona Junction-Tarkwa Highway; and rehabilitation of Assin Foso-Assin Praso Highway.
It will be recalled that nearly three (3) years ago, on 10th April 2019, the President was in Tamale to launch the Government of Ghana – SinoHydro Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA), and cut the sod for the construction of the Tamale Interchange, the first interchange in the northern sector of the country.
