The multifaceted economic stride of a nation relies on productive and highly trainable human power, effective industrialization, strong local and foreign direct investment, sound service delivery, sophisticated and modern infrastructural facilities among others.
The road infrastructure that connects the economic corridors nationwide, raw material suppliers to factories, factories’ productions with consumers, export and import items to ports and cities play vital role to capacitate sector’s performance.
Interconnecting cities, regions, industrial parks and localities each other with road infrastructure is one of the crucial steps to march forward in improving the lives of peoples in different walks of life. Cognizant of the aforementioned rationales, nation has paid due attention to the sector’s development allocating the lion’s share of its capital budget over the past two decades and half. Part of such efforts, recently, the Ethiopian Roads Authority signed over 16.3 billion Birr agreement to undertake 10 new road projects.
The projects reside across different corners nationwide. The project contract signing ceremony took place at the presence of representatives from the authority, project bid winners, community representatives and other pertinent stakes. On the occasion Authority Director Eng. Habitamu Tegegn emphasized that the Authority is doing its level best regarding undertaking succeeding inspection on road projects completion upon contracts. As to the head, apart from the nation’s commitment to owe standard road infrastructures by bidding international accredited companies, capacitating local contractors is also prioritized.
“The participation of local contractors is also showing laudable progress in which half of these new projects will be carried out with local contractors.” In addition to this, the involvement of contractors from abroad is playing pivotal role in sharing best experiences along with modernizing road infrastructure throughout the country.
The new 10 road projects, which totally cover more than 724 km, are expected to whet national interconnection, value adding to creating national economic integration. Road infrastructure gives impetus to harness potential of the project location and expedite the national endeavors to industrialization. In the due time, the community in the area is expected to gain project related benefits such as job opportunities.
The public has also been urged to play tremendous role for the realization of these projects on time collaborating with the project contractors and other concerned bodies amid project dalliances complains related to demarcation and compensation affairs.
Thus, community representatives at the projects are expected to contribute their part in providing various inputs to the authority and contractors, he said. As to him, the new road projects are exigent through easing movements from place to place which was tough due to poor road infrastructure to these sites.
The authority vowed its commitment than ever before in accomplishing construction of road projects on time. Thus, strict follow ups and joint discussions among the authority, project owners and the community are fundamental in finalizing the projects curbing possible complains regarding project delay. The new projects are expected to be terminated in two to four years and five months. Apart from the economic values, launching such important projects at a time is a great move to satisfy growing public demand.
Herald December 26/2018
BY TEWODROS KASSA
