Government commits GHC220 million to victims of the Akosombo dam spillage says the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta.
He said the monies will provide relief to the communities affected by the Akosombo spillage as well as floods upstream in the Oti, Savannah, and Bono-East Regions.
Mr Ofori-Atta made this known when he presented the 2024 budget estimates and economic policy of the government to Parliament in Accra today.
This was contained in the 2024 budget dubbed “Nkunim” which is aimed at advancing the country on the path toward fiscal consolidation, macro stability, and growth.
He added that as part of the restoration phase, the government through the Ministry of Agriculture will allocate additional resources to support the restoration of livelihoods.
“We have requested funding from the World Bank under the IDA Crisis Response Window (CRW) to support the resettlement of the victims, restoration of livelihoods, compensation, and reconstruction of infrastructure in the affected communities,” he explained.
He further stressed the need for climate policy and financing to help address the long-term effects of climate change on victims of drought, flooding, and other adverse weather events.
“The Ministry has applied to the Global Shield Against Climate Risk Fund, an initiative launched by President Nana Akufo-Addo and Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the COP 27 in Sham El-Sheikh, to access some financial resources to support communities upstream and downstream of the Akosombo Dam,” he said.
He commended corporate Ghana and all philanthropists that came to the aid of the victims of the Akosombo dam spillage saying “It is in this same spirit that we must continue to be grateful to God that no lives have been lost due to the devastating spillage from the Akosombo Dam.”
