[ 2017-03-27 ]

Delay in payment affects Eastern corridor road project
Delay in payment to contractors working on the
Volta Region portion of the Eastern Corridor road
has affected progress of work on the project.

For instance, work, which started in December 2011
on the Asikuma-Agate lot, covering a distance of
45 kilometres, was scheduled to have been
completed in 2013; it is currently 50 per cent
complete.

The Agate-Logba Alakpeti road, which also covers a
distance of 20 kilometres, is 58 per cent complete
while a stretch of 31.3 kilometres from
Logba–Alakpeti to Hohoe is only 38 per cent
complete.

The Commercial Manager of the Chinese firm working
on the project, G.S. International Developers, Mr
Deng Jum, announced this when the Volta Regional
Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, paid a visit to
the project site last Friday.

Assurance

Mr Jum gave an assurance that if the payment
pattern was improved, the company would be able to
complete and hand over the project by January next
year.

The company is undertaking a project from Asikuma
to Agate under GOG funding, 20 kilometres from
Agate to Logba Alakpeti and a 31.3 kilometres road
from Logba Alakpeti to Hohoe both under COCOBOD
funding.

Mr Jum bemoaned the prevailing situation of delays
in payment for work executed and explained that
such practices affected the scheduled date for
completion of the project.

Project

The Resident engineer of the Ghana Highway
Authority (GHA) on the project, Mr Abu Mohammed,
said currently, the contractor was engaged in
earth and base works, asphalting and the
construction of culverts.

He said all defects that had been identified in
the process of construction had been rectified.

The lots were awarded to five contractors; Asikuma
to Have (45km) and Have-Hohoe awarded to G.S.
International Developers, Hohoe-Jasikan (27 km) to
Messrs Rollider, Dodo-Pepesu to Nkwanta (45km) to
Messrs Kanazoe Limited, Nkwanta-Sibi (45km) to
Messrs China Jiangxi Limited and Sibi-Oti Damanko
(12km) to First Sky Limited.

Action

For his part, Dr Letsa assured the contractors
that their grievances would be channelled to the
appropriate quarters for prompt action because the
Eastern Corridor work was a flagship project in
the region and the nation as a whole.

He added that the Volta Regional Coordinating
Council would strengthen collaboration with the
Ghana Highway Authority to address challenges
facing road projects in the region.

Source - Graphic.com.gh

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