Deputy Tourism Minister, Mark Okraku Mantey, has disclosed that government has not been able to complete the construction of the five amphitheaters due to lack of funds.
Government in 2020 promised to build five amphitheaters across the country to support the creative industry.
However, four years on, not a single amphitheater has been completed despite an initial budget of $500,000 which was secured for the project.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Manifesto Debate on Creative Arts, the Deputy Tourism Minister said the project was predominantly funded by the World Bank.
According to him, currently, funds for the project has depleted which has accounted for the delay in completing the project.
“Predominantly, it has a lot to do with budget because this is funded by the World Bank and we’re supposed to get additional funding to finish it, it has delayed but the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture went to parliament to defend that we should give him up to quarter one in 2025,” he said on Saturday.
Mark Okraku further explained that the Ministry has made request for additional funding from Parliament and he’s confident work will resume soon.
He elaborated that the initial budget did not suffice for the project because market prices increased which affected the initial budget.
“The budget increased because of market prices and so it affected the plan that we have to finish the amphitheaters and that is why it is going to take has some time to finish.
“We have made a request for additional funding and its in the process. The moment we get it, in the next two weeks I’m sure some money would come in and we will go back to site,” he added.
He said the Minister for Tourism has defended the need for additional funding in Parliament and hopeful that the project will be completed by the end of first quarter of 2025.
