VICE PRESIDENT Alhaji Aliu Mahama has disclosed that the government is committed to putting its massive infrastructure development project on course and has therefore earmarked ?604 billion for work on road construction to commence.

The huge investment in that sector alone, he explained, would require that adequate planning procedures, procurement works and services are managed effectively, for the benefit of the nation.

Alhaji Mahama was speaking to participants at a two-day seminar organised by the Quantity Surveying Division of the Ghana Institute of Surveyors under the theme "Procurement Procedures, Cost Management of Civil Engineering Works - The Case of the Road Sector."

Continuing, he stressed that since the government is very much concerned about the building ability of professionals and consultants in the building industry in the country, they should endeavour to build international networks of colleagues so as to share ideas and information in the industry.

According to him, the absence of local contracting firms would pave the way for foreign contractors to form cartels to bloat estimates, thereby throwing the GIS development budget out of gear.

On the issue of initiating projects, the Vice President noted that most professionals in the building industry find it very difficult to attend international workshops, seminars and conferences, a situation he attributes to resource persons being made up of consultants from the country's development partners.

He added that professionals belonging to international associations also compound the problem when they fail to pay their annual subscription to earn recommendation of such bodies for projects coming from outside the country.

Commenting on the adoption of cost management practices so as to strengthen capacity at the local government level, he explained that government has this time around taken a firm decision to nominate members of the GIS into the district assemblies to ensure that the NPP's policy of fighting indiscipline would reflect in every sector of the country.

He was also of the view that effective cost management practices would go a long way to correct some of the anomalies where a civil engineer is found performing the functions of an architect in undertaking planning schemes or a planner is preparing valuation work which is meant for a contractor.

In a related development, the Minister for Roads and Transport, Dr. Richard W. Anane, who gave an overview of the road sector development in the country, noted that the total road network in the country is about 50,000 km, which he said comprises 13,250 km of trunk roads, 32,600 km of feeder roads and 3,900 km of urban roads.

According to him, the condition of the national road network as at 2001 was 27% good, 17% fair and 56% poor.

He further explained that government would only achieve its objective of improving the current road condition if policies such as departure from specific partner interventions and adoption of a programme approach based on the principles of a developmental framework are adopted and the Poverty Reduction Programme is made to achieve an equitable economic growth.

He said the development objective would ensure sustained improvement in the construction of roads as well as in the transport services in an equitable manner in the regions so as to transform the economy to become the hub for the sub-region well into the 21st century.

Hemaintained that since road deterioration starts immediately after construction due to traffic and change in climatic conditions, it would be safer when road maintenance commences almost immediately after the road is opened to traffic.

He said the neglect of routine maintenance has resulted in cracks, potholes, edge fretting, loss of road surface material and deformation.

He therefore expressed the hope that with his ministry, objective of promoting strategic investment as well as promoting private sector participation, the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) policy framework, which is still under discussion, would go a long way to help the transport and road sectors.