Pepesu (V/R), July 7, GNA - The government is committed to the construction of a first class road network from Tema Motorway in the south through Nkwanta in the Volta Region to the north to form the country's eastern corridor linking it to its landlocked neighbours.

Dr. Richard Anane, Minister for Roads and Transport gave the assurance when he inspected constructional work on a 33-kilometre long Dzindzinsu to Pepesu portion of the Jasikan to Nkwanta road as part of his inspection of road projects in parts of the Volta region.

"Indeed we are for the general improvement of the country's roads," he said.

The project, which was undertaken by Messrs Top International Engineering Corporation of China cost 4.67 billion cedis made up of a foreign component of 4, 153, 176.11 US dollars and 8,334,199,602.20 cedis.

Mr Anane said the government considers good road networks as vital to its development agenda of promoting productive activities and improving the living conditions of the people and as a means of tackling poverty in a sustainable manner.

Answering questions from Reporters, Dr. Anane said the government has not lost sight of the fact that the project is very capital intensive but was convinced that it was worth the investment.

He said the government's track record of translating its promises into practical results should leave nobody in doubt about the seriousness it attaches to the project no matter how long it would take to accomplish. Other major projects inspected by Dr Anane along that stretch of road from Kpeve included, 22.21 kilometres between Kpeve and Golokwati costing 7.2 billion cedis, Golokwati to Hohoe a distance of 19.1 kilometres, costing 19 billion cedis.

Dr Anane also inspected the 50-kilometre Abotoase through Worawora and Apesokubi-Katanga hill portion of the

Have-Kpandu-Abotoase-Worawora-Dambai road being undertaken by Messrs Bilfinger Berger AG of Germany at a cost of 21 million US dollars and is 80 percent completed.

Addressing durbars of Chiefs and people of a number of communities, Dr Anane said by constructing the roads it promised them the government has fulfilled its social contract with them, and looked forward to the engaging the government positively to embolden it to continue to serve them better.

He called on chiefs and opinion leaders of communities he visited to encourage their people to register and participate in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), so as to be healthy enough to use the good roads productively.

The communities included Dodo-Tamale, Vakpo, Worawora, Abutia-Teti, Jasikan, Tongor-Tsanakpe and Dzemeni, and communities in and around