The Government has handed over some 2,240 units of earth-moving equipment and ancillary tools to the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for road construction, upgrading and rehabilitation works. The equipment, comprising bulldozers, rollers, graders, tipper trucks and water tankers, would create 10,000 jobs for artisans including auto mechanics, operators, technicians and drivers across the country. The initiative, christened the District Road Network Improvement Programme (DRIP), is under the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, in collaboration with the ministries of Finance, Roads and Highways and the District Assemblies Common Fund. At the launch of DRIP and handing over of the equipment in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, said the number of road construction equipment handed over to the MMDAs was unprecedented in the country's history. 'This is the bigg est effort ever in the nation's history in empowering the MMDAs to carry out timely and efficient maintenance of roads within their jurisdictions,' he said. He expressed the belief that the equipment and other ancillary tools would improve the conditions of road networks in rural and urban areas to ensure mobility of goods and services. Mr Korsah noted that good road networks and their linkage to socio-economic activities would deepen trade and accessibility to basic services. He said the Government had set up stringent monitoring and compliance mechanisms to ensure proper use of the equipment to avert their misuse. The minister underscored the need for cooperation among the implementing partner institutions to ensure proper utilisation and management of the equipment. Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, the Minister of Finance, said the Government had invested over GHc10 billion in road infrastructure development since January this year. He said the DRIP initiative represented a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance road infrastructure development in Ghana. 'The road network is the backbone of our economy, connecting communities, facilitating trade, and ensuring that essential services reach every corner of our country,' he stated. Dr Adam said the DRIP-2024 initiative was a testament of the Government's commitment to creating a more connected and prosperous future for all citizens. The programme, he said, would not only improve the quality and safety of the country's roads but would also create numerous jobs opportunities, stimulate local economies and contribute to the overall development of the local assemblies. 'By investing in our infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for sustained economic growth and social progress,' Dr Adam added. Source: Ghana News Agency