Government directs assemblies to complete naming of streets

Accra, 26 Nov, GNA - Government has directed all local district assemblies to complete a programme of naming all streets and numbering houses within their jurisdiction by the end of 2010.

Vice President John Mahama said the instruction was informed by government's realisation that proper execution of such an exercise would ensure effective identification of property owners and the collection of property rates.

Sources close to the Ministry of Information told GNA on Wednesday that the Vice President said these when he was interacting with Ghanaians living in and around Atlanta in Georgia State, USA, Vice President Mahama was in the USA for a week, at the invitation of the Department of Pan-African Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Louisville in Kentucky, to deliver a lecture on the "Challenges of Good Governance in Africa" and to lead a discussion on "The life and works of Kwame Nkrumah and Pan-Africanism".

Mr. Mahama, who returned to Ghana on Monday, said government was committed to ensuing a GPS mapping for the country. He explained that an effective tax system and collection of property=

rates would improve government's internally generated revenue. The Vice President agreed to a suggestion at the meeting with Ghanaians in Atlanta that the World Bank and International Monetary Fund might not be the best options for Ghana in terms of infrastructure financing, but he noted that "we have no option today than to rely on them and other bilateral partners for some support."

Vice President Mahama said that despite the difficult situation including outstanding arrears of more than $1.7bn in respect with the roads and other sectors and the about $1bn Tema Oil Refinery debt, government was confident of a resuscitated economy by the end of 2011.

He said the difficulties compelled government to run a rather austere budget for 2009.

The Vice President expressed delight that Ghana's economic indicators were gradually taking shape, including a consistent reduction in inflation which started this year at above 22 per cent and was now at 17 per cent a= nd also the present stability of the Ghana Cedi against the major foreign currencies. He announced that the 2010 budget recognized that the economy must g= row between eight per cent and 10 per cent so that Ghana could attain the envisaged middle income status by 2020. The Vice President said government, starting from 2010, would focus= on five major areas that were key to growing the economy at the projected ei= ght to 10 per cent. Vice President Mahama mentioned the oil and gas Industry, modernizin= g Agriculture, Private Sector Development, provision vital infrastructure a= nd Information communication Technology as the areas.

He appealed to Ghanaians to contribute to the development of the economy and encouraged those with expertise and funds abroad to return ho= me and set up businesses to help increase job opportunities and improve the people's standard of livings. During the visit to the States of Georgia and Kentucky in US, Vice President Mahama held meetings with potential investors and companies tha= t already had various engagements in Ghana.

The Vice President and various groupings finalized discussions relat= ing to student exchange programmes between Ghana and US, support for the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and resuscitating of existing Memorandum of Understanding that have not been implemented.