Capacity of local contractors questioned

The capacity of some local contractors to execute government contracts has come under scrutiny following reports of substandard works.

According to the Regional Chairman of the Building Contractors Association of Ghana, AIhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Baba, records of the quality of projects which have been executed show a trend that brings the contractors’ capacity into question.

He said the poor works being executed by some contractors could plunge the country into chaos, and called for capacity building exercises to bring them up to speed on current trends in the construction and building sector.

Alhaji Baba made this known at a five-day training workshop in Tamale to boost the skills-set of artisans to enable the participants meet and address emerging challenges in the building industry.

“There is a need to enrich the profession with quality artisans to improve quality of work in the region,” he added.

In all, about 145 artisans drawn from various sectors took part in the workshop funded by the Skills Development Fund and Council for Technical Vocational and Education Training (COTVET).

The participants asked agencies that award governments contracts to be diligent and assess the competence and the capacity of contractors to execute a project before awarding the contracts, in order to reduce the execution of poor works.

This, they said, will compel other contractors to ensure that their quality of work meets internationally acceptable standards.

A resource person at the workshop, Michael Avuglah who took the participants through occupational and safety health and resources management, noted that the safety and welfare of workers should be the priority of organisations, since the health of the workers will largely determine output levels.

He said the construction industry is one of the most hazardous sectors in the economy, and asked for proper safety measures to be put in place to prevent accidents.

“Heads of construction firms must ensure that their workers put on protective garments/equipment before allowing them to get close to chemicals which might affect their lives,” he said.