Contractors slow execution of road projects in Upper West – NRGP

Mr Roy Ayariga, National Coordinator of the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP), has expressed dissatisfaction about the slow pace at which contractors are executing road projects of the programme in the Upper West Region.

He said out of 12 projects awarded since July 2012, only four of them are above 35 per cent completion point.

Mr Ayariga made the observation when he led a team to visit some of the ongoing projects.

He expressed shock that about four of the contractors are yet to start work on their projects.

Mr Ayariga said failure on the part of the contractors to deliver on the projects could have serious consequences.

He said it would deny farmers access to transport their farming inputs and carrying of their produce to marketing centres and prevents government the ability to source for more funding from development partners.

Mr Ayariga warned that contractors who fail to complete their projects would have the contracts terminated and blacklisted.

He said NRGP is wooing investors through the Private Enterprises Fund to the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions hence the need to support the investments with supportive infrastructure in terms of good road network.

“This has therefore made feeder roads very critical for government, hence, the reason why government took a loan from African Development Bank and the International Fund for Agriculture Development for the value chain development,” he said.

He stressed that infrastructure such as roads, ware houses and irrigation schemes are necessary for value chain promotion in the country.

Mr Ayariga said the region has a huge potential in terms of land, water and human resources to overcome poverty.

He said to achieve this feat largely depends on the positive attitude of the contractors.

Some of the contractors raised issues such as break down of equipment and indebtedness to financial institutions, resulting in the banks confiscating their mobilisation fees as some of the challenges they are facing.

Source: GNA