Chinese CCCC to invest in Ghana’s roads, railways, harbours
The China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC) has expressed interest in investing in Ghana’s roads, railways and harbours expansion projects.
The President of CCCC, Mr Liu Qitao, told Vice-President John Dramani Mahama at a meeting in Beijing, China, that aside the strong financial standing of CCCC the company had the support of the China Development Bank (CDD), the China Exim Bank and other international financial institutions to execute the projects in Ghana.
The meeting attended by managers of the CCCC and Ghana’s delegation, including Dr Cadman Atta Mills, an economic advisor to President John Evans Atta Mills, Mr Ato Ahwoi, Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr Seth Terkper, a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Chris Kpodo, a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Jabesh Amissah-Arthur, CEO of Bui Power Authority, Dr Yaw Akoto, CEO of BOST and Mrs Helen M. Kofi, Ghana’s Ambassador to China, was to discuss the projects that the CCCC could execute in Ghana under the $3 billion CBD facility.
The CCCC, the largest construction company in China and Asia, is one of the Chinese companies that the CBD had recommended to Ghana to execute the projects under the terms of the $3 billion loan facility, but the company has to go through the tender process as required by Ghana’s Procurement Law before it could win the contract.
The CCCC is China’s largest and global leading company for port, road and road design and construction, one of the top dredging companies and container crane manufacturer.
Mr Qitao said the CCCC had developed and generated enough capital to be able to execute big projects without the support of financial institutions.
Therefore, he said, when given the opportunity the company would invest massively in Ghana’s infrastructure development, saying that “we are committed to contributing to the social and economic development of Ghana”.
Responding to the Vice-President’s demand for a technology transfer, the CCCC President said the company was committed to transferring its knowledge and experience to the Ghanaian contractors and engineers.
He expressed the hope that President John Evans Atta Mills and Vice-President Mahama would provide the necessary leadership and support for the company to be able to execute the projects.
Mr Mahama said Ghana was a lower middle-income country with a growing population.
Therefore, he said, infrastructure development was crucial to Ghana’s socio-economic growth.
The Vice-President said CCCC would have to go through Ghana’s tendering process as required under the Procurement Law to ensure transparency.
He expressed the hope that given the experience, technical know-how and capital base of CCCC it could win the bid.
Mr Mahama asked the company to execute quality projects according to specifications when it won the contract since some Chinese companies working in Ghana did not offer quality work.
He stressed the need for the company to ensure that it built the capacity of local contractors and engineers to be in a better position to bring Ghana close or at par with China.
Source: Daily Graphic