The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwesi Amoako-Atta, has warned that consultants who connive with road contractors to give a positive picture of roads under construction will face the full rigours of the law.
He said some consultants collude with road contractors and paint positive pictures about roads under construction to get the state to honour the contract sum only to realise that the roads are poorly constructed.
Mr. Amoako-Atta, who was interacting with road consultants in Accra, said in such situations the state was the loser, adding that the country could not continue to waste resources in such a manner because a few people want to enrich themselves.
He, therefore, urged the consultants to desist from such negative practices and uphold their professional integrity.
He bemoaned the cost of road projects in Ghana as compared to other Africa countries, citing for example that the cost of constructing a kilometer of road in Ghana is higher than in South Africa.
“The cost estimate per kilometre in Ghana is more expensive compared to other African countries. Why should the cost of a road in Ghana be costly than in South Africa? Road consultants must do due diligence and value for money in their project costing,” he said.
He intimated that several factors could account for the disparity of cost of roads in Ghana and South Africa, however, he was quick to add that “road construction in Ghana is deliberately overpriced.”
He disclosed that he commissioned a team of experts to evaluate road estimates in Ghana and other countries in Africa last year and a preliminary report revealed that road projects in Ghana were on the high side.
He, therefore, warned that the Ministry would not hesitate to prosecute any person found to have inflated the cost of road projects.
Abu Mubarik, ISD