Government has started the processes towards the full implementation of its $1 million per constituency.
In its 2016 elections manifesto, the ruling New Patriotic Party pledged to disburse $1 million to each of the 275 constituencies across the 16 regions of Ghana, with the aim of meeting their infrastructural needs.
In fulfilment of that promise, the Ministry of Finance has granted letters of commencement to the three Development Authorities in the country to begin full implementation of the $1 million per constituency pledge under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) for the 2020 fiscal year.
The commencement certificate, DGN Online understands, makes available GH¢ 1,664 million (equivalent $320 millions) for the 275 constituencies across the country.
The arrangement covers $275 million dollars for the 275 constituencies and $45 million for outstanding commitments.
The IPEP is expected to be the main vehicle to direct capital expenditure towards constituency-level specific infrastructure and economic development priorities.
Details On IPEP
Under the IPEP, each of the 275 constituencies is allocated the equivalence of $1 million annually to be invested in infrastructure development initiatives of their choice, managed and implemented by the three development authorities namely Northern Development Authority, Middle Belt Development Authority and Coastal Development Authority, under the Office of the President and supervised by the Minister for Special Development Initiatives.
The infrastructure projects to be implemented are to support and complement other government infrastructure projects.
Since 2017, there has accordingly been budgetary allocation for every constituency in the country.
However, due to the time it took to establish the three development authorities, the one million dollar per constituency has been temporarily administered through the minister for Special Development Initiatives.
The three development authorities have since been established by an act of parliament, and, fully operational.
It is as result that government has therefore issued commencement letters to cover the full the amount of cedi equivalence of $1 to all three Development Authorities to commence the implementation of constituency specific infrastructure needs.
This project is to ensure bottom up development approach where the infrastructure needs of every constituency would be collated, prioritised and provided through the allocated funds.
Projects
Infrastructure projects such as drainage systems, footbridges, community town centres, reshaping roads, renovation of schools, provision of desks to schools, and many more are being undertaken in all constituencies across the country.
Needs assessment of every constituency in the country have been conducted to ascertain the basic infrastructure priorities of each constituency for which the IPEP funds should be applied over the next couple of years.
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