Skip to main content

Government to release $1bn to road contractors

Mr Kwesi Amoako-Attah speaking to journalists
The government is to release $1 billion to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to settle outstanding debts to road contractors and to complete and maintain road networks in the country.
This is expected to settle road contractors who have already invested, and to ensure the completion of roads currently under construction.
The sector Minister, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, who announced this, said the move was to improve upon the road system to drive the socio-economic development agenda of the government.
Strategic meeting
Mr Kwesi Amoako-Attah said since assuming office the government had already paid $4 billion in outstanding debts to contractors working on various road projects in the country.
He was speaking at a three-day strategic management workshop organised by the ministry and christened “Ghana Beyond Aid — Strategies for Sustainable Investment and Road Asset Preservation” at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.
He said it was the government’s desire to eliminate the occurrence of abandoned road projects usually occasioned by non-payment of funds to contractors.
“The ministry will be taking decisions proactively to ensure projects are awarded to people who have the needed expertise and competence in order to avoid some of the unnecessary delays in project execution,” he emphasised.
Toll booth revenue
He said the ministry was taking measures to block all avenues of revenue leakages especially from the various toll booths to achieve the needed revenue targets of the ministry.
Mr Amoako-Attah said the ministry had received an approval from the Public Procurement Authority to undertake a private management of 20 high revenue-earning toll stations in the country to provide services which included rehabilitation and maintenance of those stations and the provision of a well-tested electronic system to check leakages at the toll booths.
He said the ministry had taken over all cocoa roads that were started but halted midway, and assured the contractors that all outstanding debts would be settled.
Warning
The Minister cautioned regional directors and departmental heads in the ministry to live above reproach and support the government’s effort in improving the road sector, and warned that “anybody who tries to sabotage the progress of the ministry and government will be dealt with accordingly.”
He challenged participants at the workshop to dispassionately develop sustainable solutions for the preservation of road assets and other issues confronting the sector.
Senior Minister
The Senior Minster, Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo, urged the ministry to consider deepening its collaboration with academic institutions such as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, technical universities and research institutions to help develop cost-effective solutions to the challenges facing the road sector.
In a speech read on his behalf, he encouraged the ministry to adopt the use of construction materials that had stable and predictable prices, were durable and were generally available for cost-effective roads that required less rehabilitation and repairs.

 Source: Graphic.com.gh

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stop running commentary on our investigations - A-G warns EOCO

Attorney-General, Gloria Akuffo Ms Gloria Afua Akuffo, the Attorney-General has asked the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to open itself to the public but to avoid running commentary on its investigations. According to her speaking in public about their investigations could only frustrates their efforts as well as give out too much information to criminals to change their mode of operations. “Criminals are always waiting to cover their tracks and therefore coming out to speak constantly about a matter, makes it easier for them to cover up and therefore frustrating the outcome of the investigations,” she stressed. She advised that the statutory body should avoid following rumours and suspicions so as not to not embarrass themselves. Ms Akuffo said this at EOCO’s maiden national stakeholders’ forum in Accra aimed at interacting with stakeholders and share information on cases investigated, prosecutions and convictions obtained as well as recoveries and confiscations made. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ofori-Atta to present mid-year budget review Thursday

  The Minister of Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, is expected to move for the adoption of the Mid-Year Review Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government next week. The Mid-Year Budget, which is the Government’s supplementary estimate for the 2021 financial year, would be proposed to the House on Thursday, July 22, at the Parliament House, Accra. Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader, announced this on the floor of the House in Accra, on Friday, when he presented the  Business  Statement for the Ninth Week Ending Friday, July 23, 2021, of the current meeting of the Legislature. He said Tuesday, July 20, is a public holiday in respect of the Eid ul-Adha and would be observed as such. The Finance Minister would also answer a question on the cost of President Akufo-Addo’s official travels to France, Belgium, and South Africa in May, this year. He is expected to tell the House the cost of air travel of the President using chartered flight between 2013 an...
Post a Comment
Read more

Open defecation will send many to hell - Top Man of God

Open Defecation(File Photo) The Royal Reign Chapel International has launched a campaign against open defecation. Founder and leader of the church, Reverend Fiifi Ankomah explaining the rationale behind the campaign said, the irresponsible acts by some individuals have cost the nation a lot hence the reason behind their campaign. According to him, he took the initiative to research the Bible to support his campaign and from what he gathered, open defecation is something evil and against the will of God. He said God who dwells among men does not do so when the people engage in open defecation. Quoting Deuteronomy 23:13-14 to buttress his point he said:    And you shall have a trowel with your tools, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement.   14  Because  the  Lord  your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be ...
Post a Comment
Read more