Newmont Ghana has partnered Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to fix the Nkawkaw-Noyem to New Abirem cocoa road under a joint ventureship.

The project, which is expected to be completed in 18 months will enhance the movement of people and facilitate the carting of farm produce to market centres.

Performing the sod-cutting ceremony to officially mark the commencement of work, President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said the project is in line with his government’s ‘Year of Roads Agenda’ for the year 2020 which seeks to aggressively address road infrastructure deficits of the country.

Briefing the media after the ceremony, the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Agronomy & Quality Control, Dr Emmanuel Agyemang Dwomoh, described the New Abirem road as critical to the operations of Ghana Cocoa Board and praised Newmont Ghana for rallying behind COCOBOD in its quest to improve upon that road which connects several remote cocoa-growing communities.

‘This stretch of road, which is expected to be completed in 18 months is very critical…it will ease the transportation difficulties our farmers go through in carting their cocoa beans to buying centres’, he added.

Dr Agyemang Dwomoh urged the contractor, Volta Impex Limited to speed up work on the road to make the movement of goods and services easier.

The Managing Director of Volta Impex Limited of Volta Impex, Ishak Mutawakil, said the project will be completed on schedule and praised government, COCOBOD and Newmont Ghana for the confidence reposed in them.

Meanwhile, the contract valued at Ghc171.6 million also includes the upgrading of the 3-kilometre Akoase town road.