Founder and Leader of the United Party, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has expressed concerns about the government's plan to fund the proposed US$4 billion Accra–Kumasi Expressway with public funds. He made these remarks during a public lecture organised by the Center for Strategic African Development, CENSADEV, in Accra on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. The lecture was held on the theme, “Transformation of the Ghanaian Economy: From Stability to Prosperity.”
Mr Kyerematen commended the Mahama administration for pursuing the project but suggested that the government should reconsider how it is financed. He argued that a tollable road of that scale should be financed largely by the private sector. According to him, “Four billion dollars could have done a lot for Ghana.” The project is estimated to cost about US$4 billion, and the government intends to finance it without borrowing, relying on domestic resources.
President John Dramani Mahama has stated that US$2 billion has already been set aside, with the full amount expected to be mobilised by the end of 2026. The planned expressway is expected to cover about 198.7 kilometres and includes a new six-lane carriageway. The project aims to reduce travel time between Accra and Kumasi to about two hours, cut transport costs, and create thousands of jobs during construction.
Mr Kyerematen’s position reflects a broader argument in his Great Transformational Plan, which proposes greater private-sector participation in major infrastructure projects. The plan supports financing models such as Build-Operate-Transfer and other arrangements intended to reduce the direct burden on government. This approach is expected to promote economic growth and development.
Beyond the expressway, Mr Kyerematen emphasised that Ghana must move beyond improvements in inflation, the exchange rate, and other macroeconomic indicators and focus on deeper structural transformation. He argued that economic stability should be treated as a foundation for investment, industrialisation, job creation, and improved living standards, rather than as the final objective.
Mr Kyerematen also criticised what he described as weak coordination in Ghana’s development planning and called for clear national performance indicators. He questioned Ghana’s continued absence of a functioning national airline, arguing that it reflected the country’s difficulty in turning its strategic advantages into productive national assets. He stressed the need for a coordinated system capable of delivering sustained growth, investment, infrastructure, and prosperity.
The former Trade Minister also touched on the cost of credit, arguing that further reductions in inflation and the Bank of Ghana’s policy rate would be necessary to ease borrowing costs for businesses. He said Ghana should ultimately aim for a single-digit policy rate to create a more supportive environment for private-sector investment and expansion.
Key points
- Alan Kyerematen opposes public funding of the US$4bn Accra–Kumasi Expressway, suggesting private sector financing instead.
- The project aims to reduce travel time between Accra and Kumasi to about two hours and create thousands of jobs during construction.
- Mr Kyerematen emphasises the need for deeper structural transformation in Ghana's economy, focusing on investment, industrialisation, and job creation.
