Vice-President Dr. Bawumia welcoming Sun Chunlan
The
second tranche of the $2 billion Sinohydro deal has been approved and set to be
disbursed early next year.
It
follows an approval given by Sinosure, the Chinese Export and Credit Insurance
Corporation.
Vice-President
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who dropped the hint yesterday could not hide his excitement,
saying “I’m happy that Sinosure has approved the first seal lot
of the phase one; we are happy with the progress.”
During
a meeting with the Vice Premier of China, Sun Chunlan, at the Jubilee House (Presidency)
in Accra yesterday, the Vice-President said “there was a time when people
thought it would not materialize, but it has materialized!” adding “the rest of
the first phase will come through by March of 2020.”
The
$2 billion Master Project Support Agreement (MPSM) was signed between the
Government of Ghana and Sinohydro Corporation Limited for the construction of
infrastructural projects in Ghana by President Akufo-Addo and Chinese President
Xi Jinping in September 2018.
Parliament
in July approved a $2 billion Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) between
Ghana and Sinohydro Corporation Limited for construction of priority
infrastructural projects.
The
facility, a project financing arrangement, was laid in Parliament by Mr. Kwaku Kwarteng,
a Deputy Minister of Finance.
The
barter trade facility will be used to construct roads, hospitals, houses, rural
electrification, interchanges, bridges and other government priority projects
in spite of failed attempts by the opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) to
shoot it down.
Considering
how far the deal has come, Dr. Bawumia thanked the government and people of
China for the support.
He
also thanked the Chinese government for a 300 million Yuan grant and a debt
write-off of 250 million Yuan to Ghana, both totalling 550 million Yuan, saying
“we are most appreciative.”
He also expressed gratitude for the support in the technical and vocational institutes that the Chinese government was helping Ghana to put together which was launched yesterday.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent
