Contractors pleads with government for payment

A five-day workshop to upgrade the skills and competencies of construction workers in the Ashanti Region has ended with a call on government to pay monies owed building contractors.

Mr. Tony Asante-Gyinae, the Regional Chairman of the Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors of (ABCECG), said delays in the payment of jobs completed had brought intense pressure on them from their creditors, mainly the banks.

Their workers are also suffering unduly since they cannot find money to pay their wages.

He said the situation if allowed to persist could become a major disincentive and put off many from accepting government contracts.

The workshop attracted over 140 headmen, office clerks, plumbers, steel benders, masons and carpenters.

It was organized by the ABCECG, with a joint funding from the Skills Development Fund (SDF) and the Council for Technical and Vocational Training (COTVET).

The participants were taken through occupational health and safety skills, Human Resource Management, Business and Technical Skills and best practices in the construction industry.

Mr Asante-Gyinae suggested the setting up of a strong regulatory body to closely monitor building industry to tackle shoddy jobs, by making sure that only the right materials are used with the right quantities.