The Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Albert Abongo has announced that the Government is working with a consortium of Chinese investors to secure $500 million to solve the water supply problem in Accra.
Interacting with journalists in Sunyani at the weekend, Mr Abongo said the funding would help government to overcome the perennial water problems in the nation's capital.
The current water supply is estimated at 80 million gallons per day for both domestic and industrial use, which is half of the quantity needed. Mr. Abongo revealed that the national urban water shortfall stood at about 45 percent.
He said the project, which may take three to four years to complete, would lead to the expansion of the Kpong water station to provide extra 40 million gallons a day.
He stressed that the government was determined to see the completion of the desalination plant, which would provide about four million gallons a day for residents of Teshie and Nungua who are currently facing water shortages.
Mr. Abongo mentioned that the government was also cooperating with investors to roll out other pre-urban and urban water treatment facilities, noting, �The Ministry will also keep the Ghana Water Company Limited on its toes to check managerial mistakes. �The vision of the Mills administration is to rapidly increase water supply by improving existing capacity and overcoming the serious delivery challenges.�
Government, he observed, was also determined to ensure the delivery of portable water to rural communities within the next five years in line with the attainment of the rural water segment of the Millennium Development Goals.
�The government has also pledged 30 million cedis to provide 1,100 boreholes for rural communities this year as a complement to several other projects being provided by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency,� Mr. Abongo stressed.
Touching on housing, the Minister noted that his outfit had created land banks and developed a framework under which public-private partnership projects would be rolled out to meet the estimated 500, 000 national housing deficit, adding, �We have collaborated with Ago Resources, a housing firm to construct affordable houses on government plots near Amansaman in Accra.�
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