Kumasi, April 4, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Ashanbti Regional Minister has said that road contractors should not attribute delays in the execution of their projects of longer periods to shortage of chippings in the system.

He said as they stockpile gravels and other materials for their work so they should also stockpile chippings that were needed for the job. Mr Owusu-Ansah was reacting to the concerns of members of the Ashanti regional branch of road contractors at a meeting in Kumasi on Tuesday. The meeting enabled the contractors to share ideas with the Minister and Heads of the road construction Ministry centred on preparation of certificates, pre-contract agreement, mobilisation for commencement of projects, material building and termination of contracts.

The Regional Minister told them that the government was committed to providing basic infrastructure facilities to the people and would not allow them to drag its name into disrepute To this end, Mr Owusu-Ansah said contractors risk to lose their jobs if they continue to play delay tactics in the execution of their contracts at all levels saying," many of you I hear, have more jobs than necessary but you are not working".

"Since March 2003 to March 2006, some work are at standstill, others slow in progress, it is not good, some of you have become 91Konongo Kaya', you will not do it and you will not allow somebody else to take it up", he said.

He appealed to them to be proactive so that together they would work to improve road construction in the country.

Mr Owusu-Ansah learnt that some of the contractors relied on workers at the Ministry to get their certificates prepared and said this was an indictment on the part of the Association and urged them to evolve strategies to address the situation to avoid some of the delays. The contractors called for the decentralization of the preparation and signing of certificates.

They also called for risk committee for realistic rates on quantities. Mr Benjamin Arthur, Chairman of the Association appealed to the officials of Ghana Highway Authority and the Feeder Roads to offer them extra hours as way of helping them to solve some of the problems facing contractors.