Forty-eight Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in six regions will benefit from 528 projects under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) projects.
Areas of investment include connectivity, social infrastructure, markets, water system, health facilities, supply of critical logistics for educational and health infrastructure.
This was announced in a keynote address delivered on behalf of Minister of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Hon Daniel Botwe by the North East Regional Minister, Hon. Yidana Zakaria at a three-day training workshop for Procurement Officers and some key staff of MDAs across the two regions.
Hon. Botwe explained that the SOCO Project was expected to create jobs, improve access to basic social and economic services promote local economic development, gender equality and improve environmental management and most importantly promote social cohesion through community driven development approach.
“It is my hope that the delivery of the SOCO Project will lead to increase productivity and job creation, improve access to basic service and economic opportunities, climate resilience and improve cross border trade and information sharing within the Gulf of Guinea Regions,” he said.
The project cost US$ 450 million and would be implemented in Benin, Côte D’Ivoire, Togo and Ghana.
Out of the amount, Ghana would benefit an amount of US$150 to implement its targeted projects.
In a speech on behalf of the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu, the Chief Director of Regional Coordinating Council, Alhaji Inusah Abubakari, said public procurement over the years had been very critical in the governance process of the country noting that it was in view of that the Public Procurement Act, 2003(Act 663) as amended was enacted to provide the framework by which public entities acquired goods, works and services.
He said Public Procurement accounted for over 17 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) hence remained an issue of concern to government.
Hon. Yakubu added that the Public Procurement also constituted about 40 percent of all public corruption therefore the need to build the capacity of MDA’s staff on the procurement processes and arrangements regarding the SOCO project.
“This is to ensure that the processes are competitive and transparent enough to eliminate irregularities and improve quality service delivery,” he noted.
The Regional Minister charged the participants to use the opportunity to work and eliminate poverty among residents in their respective regions, and reiterated his region’s commitment to ensuring that all Sub- projects were implemented to the benefit of all.
The six beneficiary regions are; the Upper East, Upper West, North East, Northern, Savanna and Oti Regions.
UER-RCC
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