The Eastern Corridor Fiber Optic Backbone Project, has been provisionally handed over by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) to the Government of Ghana.
The project, which links Ho to Accra was implemented in 2016 with Kenpong Construction Limited, as the subcontractor.
It aims to provide a telecommunications infrastructure on which government’s digitization programmes will operate.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful mentioned that, about 120 communities were connected along the Eastern Corridor route.
She said in line with the Policy of the Ministry of Finance, her Ministry would ensure all districts, municipal and metropolitan areas were connected to the national fibre optic network.
This according to her would help, facilitate the smooth implementation of the Ghana Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) project.
She mentioned that, they are keen on digitising governance and making government more accessible to citizens.
She however, commended DANIDA for the assistance that it had provided to really give effect to the project.
According to her, “Government can’t do it alone, and we are encouraging the private sector to also get involved and we will be exploring public-private partnership initiative and grant opportunities to get that done with the right technical partners.”
She commended the entire team and NITA technical personnel whose efforts led to the fruitful execution of the project.
She afterwards, urged NITA officials to work hand in hand with the contractors and the commercial partners to ensure that the network was adequately maintained.
“No matter how high specification of the network we put in place, if we do monitor, operate and maintain it adequately, it will breakdown and the investment we have made would have been wasted,” she stated.
She lauded the development collaboration between the Ghana and Denmark over the past 25 years.
Ambassador of Denmark to Ghana, Tove Degnbol in a remark described the Eastern Corridor Fiber Optic Project as the backbone of Ghana’s digitization strategy.
Report by: Stephanie Horsu
