Government needs $7bn to revamp railways- Minister

pulse-ghana admin

June 12, 2017 1:22 PM

The Sector Minister for Railway Developments says government will need some billions of dollars to fix the deteriorated railways of the country

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Minister of Railway Development, Mr Joe Ghartey has sad that government would require $7 billion to revive the abhorrent state of the railway industry in Ghana.He said the ministry had received a lot of enquiries from both local and foreign investors on how they could partner the government to turn the fortunes of the railway sector around and gave an assurance that the government would be transparent in all the processes to make the sector a viable one.The minster made this announcement while has speaking to members of the Railway Workers Union (RWU) on the premises of the Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL) or Bottom Tree, in the Sekondi- Takoradi metropolis last Saturday.

He explained that by the estimates in the Railway Master Plan the government would need investment of about $ to undertake

The $7 billion projection for the revamp of the railways would cater for the construction of the Eastern Line from Accra to Kumasi, the Western LIne from Takoradi to Kumasi and the Central Spine from Kumasi to Paga with two branch lines from Kumasi to Nyinahin where there are bauxite reserves and Tamale to Yendi, areas where significant iron ore reserves could be found.

The distance to be covered by these railroad would be 1400km.

READ ALSO: Railway development will attract investors and create jobs - CEO He appealed to workers of the GRCL to rally behind the government to salvage the sector.He said an Israeli company would soon arrive in the country to conduct an assessment of railway facilities in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis.Mr Ghartey said he had a huge responsibility to build on the existing 947-kilometre railway line which the colonial government bequeathed to the state.Mr Ghartey also disclosed that the ministry had acquired about 2,000 acres at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region as part of plans to control the Boankra Inland Port to earn revenue for the company.The minister noted that the revenue of the industry has continued to fluctuate and therefore suggested that like the GRCL they commercialize their lands to earn income.

‘’We need to give out our lands to developers to earn revenue.” he said.

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