Ho, Aug. 15, GNA- Government has allocated 80 billion cedis from the HIPC fund to the Department of Feeder Roads (DFR) for the development and maintenance of feeder roads and transport infrastructure in poverty-stricken areas.

In addition, the government has released a total of 470 billion cedis from the Road Fund to the DFR to carry out its activities. Mr Emmanuel Boye, Deputy Minister of Roads and Transport said this at a two-day workshop of Ghana Rural Travel and Transport Programme for stakeholders in the Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions on Thursday at Ho.

He said the allocation of the funds to the DFR was in recognition and acknowledgement of the crucial role the road infrastructure and transport services play in alleviating poverty and enhancing socio-economic development.

Mr Boye said the rehabilitation include re-graveling, culvert construction, shaping, surface dressing and construction of bridges. "As you are already aware, transport plays a catalytic role in the country's poverty reduction strategy. The poverty reduction strategy essentially seeks to bridge disparities that exists among regions", he said.

He said to enhance the quality of life in the rural areas, and to protect investment on feeder roads, " government has decided to intensify the surface dressing of feeder roads especially those in towns and hilly areas".

Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister said available statistics showed that out of a total of 3,093 km length of feeder roads in the region, about 45 percent was unpaved.

He said the length of feeder roads in the Region represents only nine percent of the total of 32,600 km of feeder roads in the country.