Regional News of Tuesday, 23 September 2008

Source: GNA

Road Fund appeals to contractors to submit certificates early

Wa, Sept. 23, GNA - Mr. George Aidoo, Acting Director of Ghana Road Fund Secretariat, has appealed to contractors to submit contract certificates of work done monthly for payment. He said the practice whereby contractors waited to complete work on projects before submitting certificates was no more realistic. He said the fund had overspent its finances due to the practice and that had led to some delays in the payment of contractors. Mr Aidoo said this at a meeting with members of the Road Fund and agencies under the sector in Wa on Monday. The members of the Road Fund Board are visiting the region and would inspect some roads and on-going projects and interact with officials of Ghana Highways Authority, Department Feeder Roads and Department of Urban Roads. Mr. Aidoo said that as at June, the fund had paid-off certificates lodged with it. Mr. Solomon K. Sarfoh, a member of the road Fund, appealed to heads of agencies in the road sector in the region to package projects in smaller units to ensure timely and quality jobs. He said he was not happy about inadequate quality personnel to supervise road works, resulting in shoddy work. The heads of the three agencies in the road sector said contractors lacked the right calibre of people to work with and called the strengthening the staff capacity.