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Anane directs heads of road agencies to suspend contract
awards for now
Koforidua, April 3, Ghanadot/GNA - Mr
Richard W. Anane, Minister of Transportation, on Wednesday
said the failure of road agencies to prioritize road
projects and keep to the approved budgets had resulted in
the Government currently owing contractors GH85, 000,000.00
for work executed in 2007.
He therefore directed heads of road agencies not to award
any contract, which is not within the approved budget for
the year without approval from the Ministry.
Mr Anane said this in a speech read for him at an annual
management seminar of the Department of Feeder Roads in
Koforidua.
The two-day seminar is under the theme: “Rationalized
Programmes Lead to Efficient Road Management”.
He said the Roads Prioritization Methodology (RPM) being
implemented by the Department was therefore very appropriate
and a laudable initiative that served as a tool for
prioritizing roads to be developed.
“I would therefore like to encourage and urge that you
implement to the full the RPM in the selection, planning and
the award of contracts within the prescribed budget/tender
ceilings”.
Mr Anane said the feeder road network had witnessed a
consistent and an appreciable increase in length from 32,600
kilometer (km) in 2001 to 41,000km in 2007 adding that the
phenomenal growth was indicative of government’s commitment
to provide basic access to the productive areas of the
economy.
Mr Elvis Asafo-Adjei, Director of the Department of Feeder
Roads said the Department plays an important role in
achieving the vision of the Government, which is attaining a
middle income status by 2015.
He said the thrust of the seminar was to fashion out
strategies to reduce the current over-commitment of funds
under the Road Fund and adopt measures to ensure that future
programmes were implemented within budget.
Mr Asafo –Adjei advised regional managers of the department
to take keen interest and ensure that environmental issues
were assessed during project planning stages and the
mitigation measures implemented during the construction
period.
Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, Eastern Regional Minister, who
chaired the function, stressed the importance of good road
network to help transport foodstuffs from farms to marketing
centres.
GNA
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