Following his comments that no local contractor has the capacity to undertake the design and construction of the Accra-Tema Motorway Extensions Project, the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GhCCI), has expressed grave disappointment in the minister-designate for Roads and Highways.

The nominee, Kwesi Amoako Attah, was answering questions in Parliament during his vetting at the Appointments Committee, on the capacities of local contractors when he made the comment.

He had told the Committee that the government signed a contract with the Portuguese conglomerate Mota-Engil to construct some interchanges because, unlike Ghanaian construction firms, this company has the ability to carry out the projects.

But, this has not sat well with members of the industry.

Speaking with Citi News in a phone interview, the Chief Executive Officer of GhCCI, Emmanuel Cherry blamed the non-interest in such a project by any Ghanaian contractor on the poor payment plan by the government.

Besides, he added, any of the major projects funded by foreign donors come with terms that prevent them (local contractors) from being contracted.

“Most of these huge contracts are donor-funded contracts with conditionalities attached. Secondly, most of the local contracts are short-changed because the payment regimes are not favourable to our local contractors to help them build the capacities they require. Whenever a condition is attached to a project, it will be very difficult for a local contractor to go in and win,” he said.

He further called on the minister-designate to review the payment terms for local contractors when approved by Parliament.

“All we are expecting from the minister is to try as a matter of urgency to review the payment mode at his ministry so that payment will go according to the contractual terms. If payment is very swift as expected in the contact, most of our local contractors are ready to build the financial, technical and logistical capacity to be able to match up with their foreign counterparts in any bid that may come,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kwesi Amoako Attah has indicated that it is due to the difficulties brought on the economy by the coronavirus that monies owed contractors in the country have not been paid yet.