Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Works and Housing on Saturday said all on-going projects under his ministry and those abandoned by previous governments would be completed before new contracts are awarded.

\"It is a total waste of national resources and deceit of the public for projects to be started only to be left at the mercy of the whether.\"

Mr. Bartels made the point after inspecting an abandoned community water project at Assin Fosu.

He said while the project is abandoned, government will have to pay the loan for the contract, plus interest.

The project, started in 1972, was abandoned until 1992 when it was re-awarded to Messrs Biwater International Limited under the government\'s \'Four Towns water Project.\'

Export Credit Guarantee Department of the United Kingdom funded the completion of part of the project, which include the Ray water pumping station, transmission pipelines, treatment plant and treated water reservoir of the 500,000 capacity project.

Other projects yet to be completed are the construction of the weir, laying of treated water and distribution pipelines.

Mr. Bartels deplored the attitude of the staff of the Ghana Water Company for \"leaving the whole investment to go waste in the bush, after taking over from Biwater in 1998.\"

The Minister charged Mr Wisdom Bortier, Project Engineer of the GWC to take inventory of the facilities and ensure that any defects are rectified immediately.

Mr Bartels assured the 20 communities in the area that the project would be completed in 2004.

Nana Asare Afful chief of Assin Dawumano expressed the people\'s gratitude for the Minister\'s interest in the project.

Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Environment Science and Technology and MP for the area accompanied Mr Bartels. They also visited a community market at Assin Fosu.