Sekondi-Takoradi Metro to clear illegal structures for transit terminal project
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) would soon start demolishing illegal structures on a 50-acre land earmarked for a transit terminal at Mpintsin.
The transit terminal would accommodate 500 haulage trucks when completed and would ease vehicular traffic congestion in the metropolis.
The Planning Officer of the STMA, Mr. Henry Owusu made this known when the French Ambassador in Ghana, Mr. Frederic Clavier toured the designated land to acquaint himself with ongoing preparations.
The project is being financed by the French Government, through the French Development Agency (AFD) with part of the 40.5 million Euro concessionary loan given to the Government of Ghana.
Mr. Owusu said the owners of the illegal buildings springing up on the designated land did not seek building permit from the Assembly, hence the structures would be demolished without any payment of compensation to them.
The STMA Planning Officer noted that the project, under the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Programme (GUMPP) would provide social amenities such as markets, transit terminals, sanitation facilities, Information and Communication Technology and health facilities to four assemblies in the country.
The beneficiary areas include the Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Tamale in the Northern Region and Ho in the Volta Region.
The French Ambassador indicated that the programme was part of the continuous support from the French government to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to enhance the decentralization process and make more investment resources available to improve the lives of the citizenry.
He said the intervention would enhance the living conditions of the people in the beneficiary communities, strengthen urban management and ensure sustainable development.
Mr. Clavier said a French trade mission would soon visit the twin-city to establish business relations and open sister city relations to strengthen the bond of friendship between the two countries.
Source: GNA