Director of Policy for the United Party (UP), Dr Nana Yaw Adutwum, has called on the government to involve private investors in financing the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway to free up public funds for outstanding payments owed to teachers.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, October 10, Dr Adutwum questioned the government’s decision to ring-fence more than $2 billion for the expressway project while teachers continue to demand payment of promotion arrears and deprived area allowances.

Although he acknowledged the importance of the proposed infrastructure project, he argued that alternative financing arrangements, including private sector participation, could enable the government to redirect funds towards other pressing national needs.

“If you look at government priority settings, for example, the Expressway, another infrastructure development that government is doing, commendable. But it’s the financing scheme that we think that it could be better, where we can have space to reallocate funds to support or motivate some of these very important critical expenditures,” he said.

Dr Adutwum expressed disagreement with the decision to set aside more than $2 billion for the project ahead of the award of the contract, arguing that private investors could bear part of the cost.

“That is why we disagree with government that to ringfence over $2 billion to wait for contract to be awarded for Expressway to start financing Expressway expenditure. Why don’t you invite the private sector to bear part of that cost so that you can have funds available to deal with these pressing matters?” he questioned.

His comments come amid concerns over outstanding payments owed to teachers, which recently triggered industrial action by three major teacher unions.

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) and the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) suspended their strike following a meeting with the Council of State.

The unions had embarked on the industrial action to demand the payment of outstanding promotion arrears, deprived area allowances and other conditions of service.

Dr Adutwum’s proposal suggests that greater private sector participation in financing major infrastructure projects could help the government balance its development ambitions with its financial obligations to public sector workers.