The Ranking Member of the Local Government Committee and Member of Parliament for Bantama, Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye, has made a passionate appeal in Parliament for the government to prioritize the completion of the Accra-Kumasi Highway dualization in the 2025 budget.
He warned that further delays would have severe economic consequences.
Speaking during the budget debate, the former Minister for Roads and Highways described the highway as Ghana’s most critical economic corridor, serving over 10 million Ghanaians and facilitating trade between the southern and northern regions.
According to him, while past interventions had significantly reduced travel time, neglect, congestion, and rising vehicle numbers had reversed the progress made, with journey durations increasing from 2.5 hours to 5.5 hours.
“A 2001 study warned that unless critical sections of this highway are dualized, our economy would suffer. Between 2002 and 2008, rehabilitation and dualization efforts reduced travel time from 6–7 hours to just 2.5 hours.”
“However, because of delays in completing the project, travel time has now ballooned back to 5.5 hours, severely impacting trade and productivity,” he lamented.
Asenso-Boakye provided a detailed status update on the 240km highway, revealing that:
- 100km has been dualized
- 46km is currently under construction
- 94km remains untouched
He cautioned that if urgent action is not taken, the road will not withstand the next two rainy seasons, leading to even higher maintenance costs in the future. He urged Parliament and the government to commit funding in the 2025 budget to ensure the highway’s completion.
The Bantama MP emphasized that previous investments had demonstrated the transformative power of strategic road infrastructure, citing successful bypasses constructed under different administrations:
- The Nsawam, Kyebi, and Nkawkaw bypasses under President Kufuor significantly eased congestion
- The Tetteh Quarshie-Peduasei and Kasoa dualizations boosted economic growth before Ghana even discovered oil.
- Under President Akufo-Addo, four major bypasses—Osino, Anyinam, Enyiresi, and Konongo—were initiated, but these remain unfinished.
- Asenso-Boakye stressed the economic importance of the Accra-Takoradi Highway, which serves as a key commercial and tourism corridor. The road connects Accra to Cape Coast and Elmina—home to UNESCO World Heritage sites—and extends to Takoradi, a hub for the oil and gas industry.
He acknowledged that the Akufo-Addo administration had begun the Kasoa-Winneba dualization, with plans to extend it to Takoradi, but urged the government to accelerate work to unlock the region’s full economic potential.
“This is not just about reducing travel time—it is about enhancing trade, tourism, and industrial growth. We cannot afford further delays,” he stressed.
Asenso-Boakye called for the completion of 13 ongoing urban interchanges beyond the Accra-Kumasi and Accra-Takoradi highways, to tackle severe traffic congestion in major cities.
He warned that daily productivity losses in Accra alone run into millions of Cedis due to gridlock and high transport costs.
The former Minister also addressed the recurring flooding crisis, attributing it to poor urban planning and weak enforcement of land use regulations.
He called for stricter compliance with zoning laws and greater investment in drainage infrastructure to prevent disasters.
Hon. Asenso-Boakye also emphasized the urgent need to strengthen fiscal decentralization and ensure that MMDAs receive adequate funding to effectively deliver essential services such as sanitation, local roads, and waste management.
He addressed misconceptions surrounding the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), clarifying that assemblies have never been below 50% of the DACF and that its allocation is determined by Parliament and the DACF Administrator, not the Finance Minister.
While welcoming efforts to increase the allocation of the DACF directly to MMDAs, he stressed that funding alone is not enough. He called for measures to empower MMDAs to generate their own revenue through property rates, market tolls, business permits, and licensing while ensuring financial transparency and accountability.
He urged the government to improve financial management within MMDAs and enforce strict oversight to prevent corruption and mismanagement.
“If we expect our districts to drive grassroots development, we must give them the financial independence and resources to function effectively,” he stated, urging the government to deepen fiscal decentralization to enhance local governance.
Hon. Asenso-Boakye reiterated that strategic road investments are key to Ghana’s economic growth and warned, “If we fail to act now, the cost of rehabilitation will be exponentially higher in the future. This is not just about roads—it is about saving lives, reducing costs, supporting businesses, and building a more resilient economy. The people of Ghana deserve better.”
