Construction of bridges in the ghanaian countryside
09.04.2019 / 16:47 | Aktualizováno: 21.08.2020 / 15:48
On April 2, 2019, a credit and a commercial contract were signed with Czech company Knights Ltd. to build 50 small and medium steel bridges in Ghana.
The credit agreement to finance the construction and delivery of bridges and the commercial contract for the implementation of the project were signed by the Finance Minister of Ghana, Hon.Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Roads and Highways, Hon.Kwasi Amoako-Atta, Director of Export Finance at Czechoslovak Commercial Bank (CSOB) ing. Jan Nývlt and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Knights as, Dr. Karl Laryea. Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Ghana Margita Fuchsová, business counselor Tomáš Zázvorka, deputy director of export credit and insurance from Czech Export and Insurance Corporation EGAP Michal Janků and manager of ČSOB Blažena A. Konášová attended the ceremony at the Ministry of Finance of Ghana.
Signing ceremony at Ministry of Finanace Ghana
The entire project of company Knights includes the delivery of 200 bridges, but due to limited funds it has been divided into four tranches of 50 bridges. In 2019, the first tranche of EUR 50 million is expected to be realized, and then the other tranche is to be discussed. Delivery of small and medium bridges produced by MCE Slaný s.r.o. it is intended to help both the agricultural sector to have easier access to agricultural land and the transport sector in order to achieve more efficient transport of agricultural production to sales and storage sites. The project is also in line with the government's priority of achieving self-sufficiency in rice and maize production in 2023. Given that delivery delivery includes engineering work, the project will offer plenty of jobs for local businesses.
Due to the fact that Ghana intends to build another 1,300 bridges over the next period and does not have enough funds, the project of Knights is a welcome solution for the entire Ghanaian infrastructure sector. Demand for similar funding projects is also emerging in other West African countries.
The delegates of the ceremony
After signing the contract, Minister of Finance, Hon. Ofori-Atta thanked everyone involved for the efforts, support and assistance of Ghana in its economic development and called on ČSOB to further support development projects in Ghana.
The local media also published this event as well.
Tomáš Zázvorka, Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Accra.