Culture
GOVERNMENT TO COMPLETE THE STALLED AMPHITHEATRE PROJECTS BY NPP
The director of creative arts and tourism at the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Creative Arts, Mr Divine Owusu Ansah, has revealed that the current government will complete the construction of the amphitheatres which was inherited from the previous government.
He was speaking to Kojo Preko Dankwa, host of Kessben Entertainment on Kessben 92.9 fm. In a telephone interview, Mr Divine Owusu Ansah explained that the construction of the amphitheatres during the NPP era was under the a world bank project called the Ghana Tourism Development Project. According to him, the project ended in July 2023, and an extension was given by the World Bank, which also ended in 2024.
This he further stated stalled the project and
the government then did not have the financial muscle to complete the amphitheatres projects since the World Bank project expired.
He said the current minister, Dzifa Abla Gomashie, and his deputy minister have engaged the minister for finance, honourable Ato Forson to help complete the construction of the amphitheatres which was inherited by the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Creative Arts.
Mr Divine Owusu Ansah further revealed that the Ministry of Finance has agreed to complete the construction of the amphitheatres under the Ghana Economic Transformation project. Mr Divine Owusu Ansah said the paperwork is currently ongoing to see the project back on track.
It will be recalled that President john Dramani Mahama had promised to complete all projects under construction, which was left by the previous government.
This comes at the back of pressure from Foundation Of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP) asking the ministry of Tourism Culture and Creative Arts to immediately set out the parameters and also with immediate effect inform stakeholders the current situation of the construction of the amphitheatres.
Mark Okraku Mantey, the former deputy minister for Tourism Arts and Culture who led the agenda to construct the amphitheatres, failed to honour his promise to deliver fully functional amphitheatres across the country.
Story: Kojo Preko Dankwa.