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Ghana’s Presidential Palace 69 Per
Cent Complete
By Kweku Asare
July 13, 2007
Ghanadot - Ghana’s Presidential
Palace currently under construction on the old site of Kwame
Nkrumah’s Flagstaff House is 69 per cent complete and will
be ready by the close of the year.
The project started on June 2,
2006 and is expected to be one of President John Kufuor’s
flagship legacies for the country.
Answering a question by Mr Alfred Agbesi, NDC-Ashaiman in
Parliament on Friday, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, Chief of Staff and
Presidential Affairs said as at June 30, 2007, 24,020,690.75
million dollars had been spent on the project which is being
undertaken by Messrs Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Limited
of India.
Mr Agbesi wanted to know how much has been spent on the
construction of the Presidential Palace which would have
offices and residence of the President and certain key
offices of state machinery.
Mr Mpiani was helped on numerous
occasions by Mr Speaker who said some supplementary
questions required time for Mr Mpiani to answer.
He also also declined to let some questions asked by
Minority members in the House to pass.
The Presidential Palace is currently estimated to cost 36.9
million dollars, “but as you know in construction there is
always variations that may take place. Therefore, I am sure
that in that regard, I might have to show up here again to
ask for additional funds to complete the project,” Mr Mpiani
explained.
The Palace is being constructed with funding of 30 million
dollars from the Indian government, while the Ghana
government is providing 6.9 million dollars.
The Presidential Palace has been a major subject of
contention for a number of people including the Minority in
Parliament who say they believe the money being used could
have been used for more urgent needs in the health,
education and energy sectors.
But government has often argued that the edifice or facility
of a Presidential Palace was long overdue and increasingly
becoming a need that must no longer be overlooked.
Mr Mpiani when asked by Mr Salas Mensah, Chairman of the
Public Accounts Committee if the House approved a sum for
the job to be done and not contracts, said even though it
was so, the amount had already been approved for use for the
project.
Akua Dansoa’s question to the Minister to state the amount
in the old and new Ghana cedi was parried out by the
Speaker.
Kweku Asare, July 13, 2007, Ghanadot.com
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