Accra, Jan. 30, –Ghana and the
European Union (EU) have signed four financing agreements, totalling €175
million to support Public Financial Management (PFM), investment in sustainable
agriculture development, decentralisation and climate change.
The €102 million agriculture
programme aims at increasing agricultural incomes, promoting inclusive climate
resilient and sustainable economic growth in rural communities of the Upper
West Region by 2025.
The €45 Million decentralisation
support has the overall objective of building effective, accountable and
inclusive institutions at all levels for sustainable development while the €20
million Resilience Against Climate Change promote inclusive climate resilient
and sustainable economic growth in rural communities.
The €8 million programme aims at
improving economic governance and business environment and to maximise the
benefits of the Economic Partnership Agreement to Ghana.
Mr William Hanna, EU Ambassador
and Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance signed the agreements under the
Annual Action Programme 2017, supported by the 11th European Development Fund.
In his address, Mr Ofori-Atta
said agriculture, PFM, Decentralisation and Climate change were priority areas
for government in terms of job creation, service delivery and better financial
management.
He said the policies and
programmes in the 2018 Budget Statement underscored government’s commitment to
improve agricultural production and position the sector as one of the main
drivers of the country’s economic transformation.
The funds would be used to
provide infrastructure such as dams, feeder roads and warehouses in the Upper
West Region and three districts from the northern region, which border the
Upper West Region.
Mr Ofori-Atta said the support
would complement government’s effort to build a strong agro-based economy that
would support the industrialisation agenda in line with the “One District, One
Factory initiative.”
The Minister said the support for
PFM would help build the capacities of oversight bodies such as the Ghana Audit
Service, the Internal Audit Agency, Public Procurement Authority and Parliament
to deepen accountability and ethics.
Mr Ofori-Atta reiterated
government’s commitment to decentralisation, saying the availability of
essential services at the doorsteps of citizens remained a top government
priority.
Commenting on the agreement, Mr
Hanna said the four programmes would contribute to Ghana’s achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals and help the country sustain a path of inclusive
and sustainable economic growth.
“This is the path that leads
Ghana beyond Aid, a path on which we are proud to be partners,” he added.
GNA
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