GHANA’S Cabinet has approved a $200 million credit facility for the proposed Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project. Making the announcement, Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said that the project would commence immediately the facility received parliamentary approval.
Oppong Nkrumah explained that the project will be utilised for the improvement of the drainage and sanitation situation in the nation’s capital. It will be spearheaded by four ministries including; Works and Housing, Sanitation and Water Resources, Zongo Development and Local Government and Rural Development.
‘If the facility is approved by Parliament, the Works and Housing Ministry will use its share of the fund to handle drainage of key water outlets including the Odaw River, while the Water and Sanitation Ministry would use its allocation for the construction of transfer stations and landfill sites,’ said Oppong Nkrumah.
The project is expected to improve flood risk management and solid waste management in the Odaw River Basin of the Greater Accra Region and improve access to basic infrastructure and services in the targeted communities within the basin.
Moreover, funding from the project will serve as an annual grant to targeted metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies for enhancement of revenue strategies, improvement of municipal finance and budgeting, and capacity development.
The project is being supported by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA). About 500,000 people from low income communities will benefit from solid waste collection and final disposal capacity improvements, under the project.