Accra, Jan. 18, GNA - The provision of residential accommodation for personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has been a major concern of government, Defence Minister Kwame Addo-Kufuor said on Wednesday. To this end, over 34 billion cedis had been spent under the second phase of the GAF's housing project, with about 27 residential accommodation units completed since 2001.

The Minister told the meet-the-press series in Accra that more than 31 billion cedis had so far been spent on 40 on-going housing units at various levels of completion.

Dr Addo-Kufuor said the Ministry now required a total of 15 billion cedis to complete the project.

He said the Ministry had realised that it could not rely solely on the Consolidated Fund in finding a lasting solution to the accommodation problems of the GAF.

However, the Ministry of Defence had been exploring the possibility of securing a concessionary credit facility for the housing project that was to cover all garrisons. The Minister said in furtherance of the project, arrangements were far advanced to secure a credit facility amounting to 10 million dollars for a comprehensive accommodation programme for the GAF.