Gov’t to showcase infrastructural projects
The Ministry of Information is set to begin a series of regional townhall meetings and exhibitions at the end of this month.
This initiative aims to decentralize government communication and inform citizens about the infrastructural projects and policies implemented by the ruling government over the past seven years.
Minister of Information, Madam Fatimatu Abubakar, announced this during an interview with journalists in Accra.
She explained that the events would involve regional and sector ministers, along with key government appointees, who would answer questions from journalists and the public regarding government projects.
“The townhall meetings and exhibitions will showcase roads, health, education, water, and sanitation infrastructure, as well as address any other issues concerning the region,” said Madam Abubakar.
The event will enable the government to present key projects through videos and pictures, promoting transparency and accountability while also gathering feedback to relay to the presidency.
Madam Abubakar highlighted the necessity of these townhall meetings despite the Government of Ghana Performance Tracker already being unveiled with GPS locations.
She emphasized the importance of reaching the grassroots to listen to their concerns and thoughts on these projects.
The feedback from these townhall meetings will be communicated to relevant duty-bearers and the presidency to address any identified challenges, the Minister stated.
In the interview, Madam Abubakar also refuted claims by former President John Dramani Mahama that the government owed Independent Power Producers (IPPs) $2 billion.
She clarified that reliable statistics from the IPPs indicated the government owed one billion dollars for power supply.
The government has reached an agreement with five out of the seven IPPs to restructure the debts to ensure a regular power supply.
Furthermore, Madam Abubakar stated that the government had agreed with five of the IPPs to restructure the Power Purchase Agreements and was working tirelessly to address the shortfalls in power supply.
“The government is making frantic efforts to provide adequate funding for the energy sector to ensure regular power supply so that VRA, ECG, and GRIDCo will have enough power for transmission,” she affirmed.
This series of townhall meetings and exhibitions marks a significant step towards fostering open communication between the government and citizens, ensuring transparency, and addressing public concerns about ongoing and completed projects.
