Here is why government re-awarded Accra Intelligent Traffic Management Project

The Government of Ghana has defended its verdict in reinstating a new contractor for execution of the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management Project.

The development comes after a Chinese firm, Beijing Everyway Traffic and Lighting Technology Company Limited, was previously contracted in 2018 for the project.

But in a reaction to the decision on Citi Business News, Chairman of the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament, Seth Acheampong, explained that government did not settle with terms and conditions of the agreement it earlier had.

“The Attorney General cleared that the administration could move on and sign on Huawei Technology because the people who are offering us the facility, the Chinese, have some conditions and the conditionality is to use a Chinese company and lo and behold we in Ghana had a Chinese vendor plying the trade here who was mobilized, Beijing Everyway. We don’t know their office in Ghana,” Acheampong said.

He continued, “We asked the National Communication Authority (NCA) to check because to deploy this in the country, you need a permit and a license from the NCA. They haven’t asked for any of such from them. We’ve done due diligence on them, so I’m not perturbed over anything.”

“My information which is authentic from the Public Procurement Authority who allowed the ministry in the name of the Republic of Ghana to contract the new vendor Huawei authorized and cleared this transaction to go on and went further to intimate and state that the Ministry of Roads and Highways should terminate the contract with Beijing Everyway,” Seth Acheampong added.

Meanwhile, Parliament, before going on recess on November 7, 2020 passed the Bill approving the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management Project under a certificate of urgency.

The new agreement for the project will now be between the Government of Ghana, represented by the Ministry of National Security, Huawei Technologies Company Limited and the China National Import and Export Corporation.