Feasibility studies for the development of the Trans-ECOWAS railway project is set to be completed in November, this year, the Minister of Railway Development, Joe Ghartey, has said.
The Railway Minister, who was addressing a grand durbar of chiefs and people of Cape Coast to climax the Oguaa Fetu Afahye, indicated that the 500km project would be carried out in phases.
He said the feasibility studies were, among other things, to map out right-of-way of the West African Corridor to develop a business plan to attract private sector interest in the project.
It would be recalled that, last year, the Ministry of Railways Development, in collaboration with the Ghana Railway Development Authority, commenced feasibility studies for the development of the Trans-ECOWAS railway line project.
Mr. Ghartey said if the initial results of the feasibility studies were anything to go by, the first phase of the project would start with Accra-Cape Coast and Accra-Takoradi respectively.
When completed the project would ease transportation within the country and the West African Sub-Region.
Responding to a concern raised by the Omanhen of Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, about the poor roads within the Cape Coast Metropolis, he gave the assurance that the President would soon be in the Central Region to cut the sod for the Syno-hydro roads.
He said the Government was committed to addressing the infrastructural challenges in the SHSs, being fully aware of the pressure as a result of the huge enrolment due to the Free SHS Policy.
He said government was looking for funds to renovate the Cape Coast Castle and would do everything within its means to ensure that Cape Coast and the Central Region in general regained its past glory.
The Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, said under the Coastal Protection Project, government was constructing sea defense walls along the coastal communities in the Region to protect lives and property.
Osabarima Kwesi Atta, for his part, express regret over unemployment situation in the Metropolis and mentioned a number of strategic plans the Traditional Council was undertaking to provide jobs for the teeming youth.
He said though the Cape Coast Castle was one of the most visited tourist sites in the country, the Council did not receive any quota of the revenue generated to facilitate development and appealed to the Government to address that.
This year’s celebration was on the theme: “Restoration of our Heritage: A Key to Tourism Development”.
