The Ministry of Roads and Highways is to tar feeder roads instead of regravelling and reshaping them under its new policy.

Town roads, which do not fall under the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), would also be taken over by the Department of Feeder Roads (DFR) and tarred to reduce dust pollution. Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister for Roads and Highways, announced this when he paid a working visit to the Ghana Emulsion Company Limited (GEC), manufactures of bitumen emulsion used in sealing roads, at Tema on Tuesday.

Currently only 6,000 kilometres of trunk roads out of 14,200 kilometres have been tarred while the rest is either gravelled or earth. In addition 680 kilometres of the country's feeder roads representing only two per cent have been tarred.

Emulsion bitumen, a substitute for cut back and hot bitumen, is a mixture of pen grade bitumen and water which is stabilised by the use of emulsifiers

Mr Adjei-Darko said the Ministry would consider the use of emulsion for these projects if found to be cost effective.

It would also want transparency in all dealings so that the company would not take advantage of its monopoly situation.

The emulsion has been tested on the Begro-Apaa and Huhunya- Boti Falls roads by the DFR, DUR and the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) and has shown very satisfactory results. Officials from the Ministry and Engineers of GEC, said the product has been established to be environmentally friendly and its use would reduce the country's oil bill since it is not mixed with either diesel or kerosene.

The technology became available in Ghana with the establishment of GEC four years ago. Mr Adam Yakubu Kasule, Managing Director of Ghana Emulsion, said the company is currently producing below 30 per cent of its installed capacity of 97,000 tonnes per year because the product is not being patronised for road construction in the country.

He said the company has drawn up a training programme for road engineers and contractors on the proper application of the bitumen so that it could be used in massive road construction. It is mostly used to fill potholes at present.

Mr Kasule said currently, a joint supply agreement is being worked out between EMH of Denmark, GEC's main partners and Hoffmann and Sons, a Danish company in Benin for the supply of 1,200 tonnes of bitumen emulsion for road rehabilitation works in Benin.

GEC's component for the project, which spans over a period of three to six months, is expected to cost 360,000 dollars. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) is funding the project.

Mr Joseph Lamptey, Acting Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr Albert Hammond, Acting Chief Executive of the GHA, Mr Alex Twumasi-Boakye, Acting Director of the DUR and Mr Eric Oduro-Konadu, Director of Materials, GHA accompanied the Minister.