It has been revealed that
infrastructure, most especially bad roads, is the major challenge for most
Ghanaians.
A survey conducted by Afrobarometer
has revealed that for the first time since 2002, infrastructure/roads topped
the list of citizens’ priority problems, beating unemployment.
Six in 10 Ghanaians,
according to the survey (59 per cent), cited infrastructure/roads among the
first three problems they want government to address.
Concerns about infrastructure
and roads were found to be highest in Bono East (88 per cent), Oti (75 per
cent) and North East (72 per cent) regions.
Fewer than half of residents
in Greater Accra, Upper East, Savannah and Eastern regions expressed concern
about roads.
The Afrobarometer team in
Ghana, led by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana),
interviewed 2,400 adult Ghanaians between 16th September and 3rd October 2019
for the survey.
Less Concern
Interestingly, for the first time
since 2002, unemployment was not seen as the major concern for most Ghanaians
appeared to have been ignored this time around.
Less than four out of 10 (39
per cent) Ghanaians said employment was a ‘big’ issue.
Year of Roads
Meanwhile, the government has declared 2020 as a year of roads. In
the 2020 budget, the government has projected to spend GH¢9.3 billion,
equivalent to 2.3 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on
selected infrastructure projects, especially roads across the country next
year.
“The projected amount is 53.5 per cent higher than the 2019 projected outturn, which was GH¢7.7 billion,” the Minister of Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, announced
By Nana Kwasi
