Alan Kyerematen proposes private sector financing for Accra-Kumasi Expressway

Former Trade and Industry Minister and UP leader Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen is proposing private-sector financing for the US$4 billion Accra-Kumasi Expressway. The minister argued that government resources could be freed up for other infrastructure needs if commercially viable projects were structured to attract private capital. At a British Council lecture, Kyerematen questioned the decision to use public funds to finance the entire expressway, emphasizing that such roads can be financed by the private sector once they are constructed.

He suggested that the government allow private investors to finance, construct, and operate the toll road under an arrangement that enables them to recover their investment over an agreed period. Kyerematen urged the government to extend this principle to other revenue-generating infrastructure projects, freeing up public resources for pressing needs.

This proposal aligns with the government's plan to commence the 175.6-kilometre expressway's construction after clearing its right-of-way, with US$2 billion secured from taxpayers. The CEO of Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, Francis Ahlidza, stated that the road would operate as a commercial asset to recover government's taxpayers' investment within the concession period.