The Government of Ghana has secured a US $56.3 million funding from the French Agency for Development (AFD) to implement the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP) in four major cities, Namely Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale and Ho.
Addressing the press in Ghana, Akwesi Opong-Fosu, Minister, MLGRD, said under the GUMPP, the ministry responsible would facilitate the preparation of street naming and structure plans for Ho and Tamale.
Mr. Opong-Fosu said the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) had been paid up to the third quarter of 2013, stating that the Cabinet had directed his outfit and the Ministry of Finance to work to clear the backlog of the fourth quarter of 2013 and first quarter of 2014.
The government of Ghana is looking forward at strengthening the Metropolitan, Municipal, District Assemblies (MMDAs) by providing investment and capacity building grants under the District Development Facility (DDF) and Urban Development Grant (UDG).
DDF investment had contributed immensely to improving access to basic services and also increased the infrastructure stock of the MMDAs.
Currently there are around 105 urban localities, each with a population above 15,000 with environmental sanitation challenges similar to those of large cities.
These other urban localities comprising about 34% of the total population also generate waste in excess of 5,000 tons each day.
Local plans and schemes will also be prepared to guide the growth and development in these urban centers, while the project also ensures that property rating and installation of revenue mobilization software is carried out for the cities.
