Wa (Upper West), 30th April ?99 ?

The government has earmarked 87 billion cedis as counterpart funding to support donor financed road construction projects this year.

Roads to be given priority are the Wa-Bamboi road, Tamale town road, and roads in the north-east corridor of the Volta region.

Mr Dominic Azumah, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport, made this known at the eighth parliamentary forum at Wa on Wednesday to explain the work of parliament to the people.

Mr Azumah mentioned the European Union (EU), KWS of Germany, OCES of Japan, African Development Bank and ECOWAS fund for Development as donors who have expressed their desire to finance major road construction projects this year.

On the Wa-Bamboi road, Mr Azumah, Member of Parliament for Garu-Tampane in the Upper East region, said the government has met all conditions set by the donors for the projects.

"These conditions are the economic viability of the roads, redesigning of the roads and open competitive bidding of the contracts".

He told the forum that 19 billion cedis have been voted for periodic maintenance of roads in the Upper West region this year while the ECOWAS fund would finance the Tumu-Leo on the Ghana-Burkina Faso Highway.

Mr Bede Ziedeng, Upper West Regional Deputy Minister, said television viewers in the region have been denied GTV transmissions due to a breakdown in Han's power generator and appealed for parliamentary support towards the solution of problem.

GRi?/