President John Daramani Mahama on Thursday pledged the government’s readiness to continuously promote the rapid development of broadband infrastructure to reach all parts of the country to ensure that improved connectivity provided better access to health care and health information.
He said improved broad Information Communication Technology would also improve opportunities for education and training, transportation, protection of environment and management of natural resources, and to support E-government to create transparency in government.
President Mahama, who was delivering his State of the Nation Address in Parliament, said there the need for all Ghanaians to live in a country with improved infrastructure which is inextricably linked to enhancing the quality of life.
He said the viability of private sector investments hinges on a robust and functional infrastructure of roads, rail, sufficient and efficient energy, and stable water supply and a seamless communications and ICT infrastructure.
"Government would use information technology to support infrastructure development, urban renewal, land use management and environmental protection", he added.
He said Ghana was in 2011 listed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as one of the top ten most dynamic performing countries in ICT -for- development due to a rise in telephone subscription in the country which was pecked close to 26 million as of December 2012, representing more than double the number as of December 2008.
He said work on the Eastern Corridor Rural Fibre Optic backbone network project would be accelerated to add 584 kilometres of optic fibre stretching from Ho to Bawku and linking 70 towns to improve the quality of communication services.
He said with the ICT sector expanding, attention would be focused on measures to protect the privacy of the individual and personal data.
He pledged to develop strategies to counter the growing threats of cyber attacks and other online security concerns and accelerate preparations towards migration from Analogue to Digital Television Transmission.
"The Better Ghana ICT Project would be given a major boost this year and the government would commence the distribution of 400,000 laptop computers to schools and students", he added.
President Mahama said COCOBOD had commenced with funding the reshaping, spot improvements and upgrading of gravel roads to bituminous surfaces in cocoa, coffee and sheanut producing areas.
He said feasibility studies would commence in the middle of the year on turning Accra- Cape Coast- Takoradi road into a dual one and also rehabilitate and expansion of the Accra- Tema motorway.
He expressed satisfaction on the patronage of the Kumasi airport adding available data showed that passenger traffic through the international airport had more than quadrupled in the last 3 years and domestic passenger traffic on the other hand has increased ten-fold.
"This remarkable progress is putting immense strain on our airport infrastructure, which we continue to expand. As a matter of priority Government has commissioned the immediate exploration of plans for the construction of a new international airport in Accra, and complementary expansion of the airports in Kumasi, Tamale, and Takoradi", he added.
He said he had charged the Ministry of Transport to undertake an urgent review of the fees and charges at the ports, which put unbearable hardship on importers.
The President said Government would in the next three years work with all stakeholders to ensure that the National Housing Policy document is finalized and approved by both Cabinet and Parliament.
This, he said, would particularly concentrate on the dense urban slums where the phenomenon of safe sanitation and waste disposal are very weak.
He said Government would work to consolidate the various strategies being implemented to bridge the huge housing deficit.
"These strategies, which are in themselves opportunities for public-private partnership arrangements, would include the construction of low cost units for lower income groups, rural and social housing for the very poor and mortgage facilities for those who can afford".
He expressed concern about the precarious water supply that had hit some communities including significant parts of Accra despite the numerous interventions to improve on the situation.
He said the situation however required massive investment in new water delivery infrastructure and timely maintenance like the ongoing works at the Kpone head works.
He said a multi agency task force which was established in December 2012 would be reviewed to engage all the stakeholders, including the District Assemblies, in a more sustained and concerted effort to rid the country of the menacing rubbish heaps that are threatening health in our communities.
"My focus is on waste and sanitation management systems and not just on waste collection and disposal. The emphasis will also be on waste recovery and recycling as well as providing incentives to increase private sector participation in the hygiene, sanitation and pollution control sector."
On energy and petroleum, he expressed concern about the very erratic and frustrating electricity supply that had hit the country adding that the situation had also compounded water supply in some communities.
Prez Mahama pledged Government continuous support to utility companies to carry out distribution system improvement projects and increase electricity access to all parts of the country under the 'Energy for All' programme to ensure universal access by 2016.
He said the Ghana National Petroleum Company; through joint ventures continue to explore the hydrocarbon potential of our sedimentary basins.
He said as part of measures to promote local content and participation in the petroleum industry, an Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) with support from the Jubilee Partners will be fully operational this year.
"The centre will be located in the Western Region to facilitate the training of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to be properly positioned to take advantage of the oil and gas industry."
He expressed concern for the security of the nation’s oil and gas adding that the Ghana Armed Forces had been retooled to establish a safe and secure corridor for oil and gas.
He pledged to continue with the provision of security for both onshore and offshore oil and gas infrastructure against disruptive threats and theft while putting in place anti-pirate infrastructure.
"We would place emphasis on integrating community groups into protection arrangements thereby supporting employment growth even as we undertake a comprehensive assessment of risks to our maritime assets including downstream and onshore facilities such as pipelines," the President said.