Accra, Nov. 4, GNA- A nine-million Euro loan agreement between Ghana and the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) for the Urban Environment Sanitation Project (Phase II) was on Thursday approved by Parliament. The project would help improve urban environmental sanitation, solid waste and drainage management as well as vehicular access in the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.

Presenting a report on the loan, Mr Eugene Atta Agyepong, Chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Finance, said the Phase II project would further deepen the gains made in addressing environmental sanitation issues in the four beneficiary cities of Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi and Tema.

He said the project would also involve the construction of a new landfill for Accra-Tema and the completion of Sekondi-Takoradi landfill, adding that the Committee hoped the serious problem of waste management in the cities, especially Accra, would be substantially solved.

The Committee observed that on completion of the project, the communities around the project areas would benefit from access roads, reduce flooding and provide people in the beneficiary communities as well as school children access to places of convenience.

The interest-free loan has a repayment period of 30 years with 10 years grace period.