Parliament has approved an amount of 45.7 million dollars to be used in improving water and sanitation issues in the country, Thursday, November 17, 2017.
Addressing parliament, the chairman of the finance committee, Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah assured that the money will go a long way in helping to solve pressing issues involving water and sanitation in the country.
"I urge the house to adopt the report of the joint committee on Finance, Works and Housing on the financing agreement between the government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development Association of the World Bank Group for an amount of thirty three million Special Drawing Rights ( SDR 33,000,000), equivalent to USD 45.7 million as additional finance for the Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation Project", he said.
He explained that the move was necessitated by the adverse effects of inadequate water and sanitation facilities which had resulted in the deaths and poor health of citizens caused by diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. Â
The Committee reported that the main purpose for the additional funding is to complete the remaining works under the original project and to cover the 5% counterpart funding that was to be paid by the beneficiary District Assemblies which could not be honoured due to financial constraints.
The former Minister for Roads and Highways, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, however, condemned the situation where Ghana continues to borrow after 60 years of independence to execute projects such as building toilets in communities. He said funds for a toilet project is something that can be generated internally, advising the country to only run to developing partners for loans for other “serious projectsâ€.
Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Ocquaye, after submissions and contributions were made by members on the loan agreement, pronounced the 45.7 million dollar loan approved.
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