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Commercial flights to Wa, the Upper West regional capital will begin in September. Engineers on the ongoing expansion works are currently putting finishing touches to the terminal and installing the necessary air traffic gadgets and will hand over the facility next month.

This was disclosed when President Mahama inspected the project as part of his 'Accounting To The People tour' of the Upper West region.

The inauguration of the Wa Airport in two months, is expected to give a major boost to businesses in the Wa Township particularly as commuters will find it convenient moving goods and services from the nation’s capital, Accra, Kumasi and other major cities to the north-most part of the country.

Earlier in on Friday, President John Mahama had a breakfast meeting with Clergymen and other religious leaders in the region. He used the occasion to brief them about policies intended to mitigate challenges facing the economy and projects in the area and the country at large to improve the lives of the people.

“We have decided that every region must have a garrison. We are developing the Baasoa barracks into a permanent barracks so we can have a military detachment here,” he told the gathering.

On other security issues the President noted that “the world today is unstable not because of state actors have weapons of mass destruction but because non-state actors do. In our sub region we have Boko Haram etcetera and that poses threat to us. Environmental issues, global warming and the attendant impact on weather conditions . . . we are not isolated from the impacts of the above. China is slowing growth, Nigeria is in turbulence.”

He however assured that this notwithstanding, Ghana’s economy is resilient and that its democracy has not been touted as a model for nothing.

Ghana He drifted into the state of the Akosombo and Bui Dams which are virtually dry because of climatic changes. He noted that the Akosombo Dam currently is 5ft below minimum operating level. And this has had great impact on energy supply.

“We have made progress, we are only able to match demand with supply. What we need now is enough redundancy. We are working to resolve that by creating other sources of energy. That is why we have ENI agreement to tap gas for the country, which will be enough for the next 20years. All our investment is to help us to be energy sufficient.”

He added “Those who criticized Dr Nkrumah would apologize to him today because those programs for which they accused him of being ostentatious in investment are now those which sustained us for years.

He used the occasion to reiterate that no subsidy is being paid on power tariffs. He however said is there are shortfalls from the current realignment, the PURC will have to adjust the figures in their next review.

The President further stated that the energy consumed today is thermal, which is more than twice the cost of hydro is. This he said explains the need to increase electricity tariffs.

On the Economy, the President noted that his government faced a herculean task as a result of the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure.

“Single Spine pushed expenditure for wages to 73percent of government revenue during the initial period leaving 27 percent for everything else. It became necessary to stabilize the economy by bringing down expenditure. I am happy to announce that the rate today stands at 49 percent. Our target is 39 percent which is near enough to the standard of 35 percent,” he noted.

He further explained “that is why we negotiate with labour a year ahead. Once that is agreed, we ring-fence it and put that in the budget. And once it is not captured in the budget, I will not pay it. This is to ensure fiscal discipline.”

He also enumerated some key infrastructure projects including roads, hospitals, water projects, schools and ICT intended to lay the needed foundation to attract more investments into the economy.

“One of the things I want to do is to bring back the dream of Dr Kwame Nkrumah by bringing back our factories. The GIHOC Distilleries, the Komenda Sugar Factory which is also one of the GIHOC factories, Tema Oil Refinery which had been unprofitable but today is operating profitably”

On operations of the Bulk Oil Supply and Transportation Company, BOST, he said we are supposed to keep 6weeks of strategic stock but the reserves can last 8weeks.

On achievements, the President said water coverage is about 78percen while electricity is 80percent. On education he said there is 97 percent enrolment in primary schools and gender parity has been achieved.

“Only Ghana has that in West Africa. Youth literacy is highest also in the sub-region. The single biggest investment in secondary education in our history is the 200 Community Day SHS.”

President John Mahama observed that massive infrastructure in the health sector also have long term benefits.

He added that Ghana today can boast of an improvement in reducing infant and maternal mortality which have hit the lowest rate in the country.

President Mahama also inaugurated the Wa basic school complex. His entourage also inspected the new District Assembly Complex and works on portions of the Wa-Hamile road.

Earlier today, the President inaugurated a GETFUND financed Wa Prisons Basic School Complex, staff offices, hygiene facilities and a fence wall.