Blame "part time" contractors for shoddy work-President

Koforidua, Oct. 02, GNA - Mr Kwame Afreh, National President of the Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors of Ghana, says contractors who abandon projects and do shoddy works are those he refers to as "part time" contractors.

"These are people who enter the business with the aim of raising capital to expand or start their business" He said those people knew they would not stay in the industry for long; as such they did not want to identify themselves with the association and as a result, got away without being reprimanded anytime they did shoddy work.

Mr Afreh, who was speaking at a ceremony in Koforidua on Thursday to inaugurate the newly elected executive of the association for the Eastern Region, said "anyone who had taken construction as his full time job would never venture to abandon projects or do shoddy works because of the repercussions". He said the problem confronting the association was that there was always a proliferation of contractors anytime there was a "change at the top".

"Invariably the new contractors are encouraged to register with assurances or promises and they are the ones who get most of the new contracts".

Mr Afreh said being novices in the business, those contractors got fascinated by the figures and quote low bids to get the jobs, only to realize when they start that the money would not be able to finish the work.

He therefore appealed to members to organize themselves into a formidable group to let the public know their plight. Mr Afreh expressed his worry about the delay in payment for jobs executed and said "most of us have borrowed from financial institutions at high interest rates to execute projects but our clients feel it is their right to delay payment for as long as they want and are not bound to pay any interest".

Nana Obeng Yeboah, out-going regional chairman, appealed to all awarding agencies in the area, particularly the Municipal, Urban and District Chief Executive to demand from anyone who comes before them to tender for a project, his involvement with the association. This, he said would make it possible for all quack contractors to be weeded out to pave way for a good work at all times. Mr Martins Kwesi Nnuro, Malkina Enterprises Limited, based in Koforidua is the new Regional Chairman.