Kufuor expanded roads by 80% - NPP

Ghana’s road network was expanded from 37,321km in 2000 to 67,291km by 2008 under the Kufuor administration to facilitate increased production of commercial crops for export and food for domestic consumption, the New Patriotic Party’s Ranking Member of the Roads Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Owusu-Aduomi, has said.

The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has prided itself with the expansion of road infrastructure across the country among other things and is, therefore, seeking the mandate of Ghanaians to continue with the infrastructure drive.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday September 22 with emphasis on road infrastructure, Mr Owusu-Aduomi, however, said the road network has only increased slightly from the 67,291km at the end of the Kufuor administration to 71,419 at the end of 2015.

Mr Owusu-Aduomi told the media: “The country’s road network stood at 37,321km at the end of the fiscal year 2000. It increased to 56,057km at the end of 2004, moved further up to 67,291km at the close of year 2008.

It has since then increased slightly to 71, 419km at the end of 2015. The nation’s road network increased by 18,736km and 29,970km during the [first and second terms] … of the NPP-led administration, respectively.

At the end of year 2008, the road network size that the Kufuor government met as of the end of November 2000 had been increased to about 80 per cent. Many communities, especially commercial crop- and food-growing areas were opened up.

The Department of Feeder Roads network increased by 18,195km during the eight-year period and this facilitated increased production of commercial crops for exports and food for domestic consumption.”