Over 3,400 road contractors paid - Osei Nyarko

Government pays road contractors below GH¢1 million

GH¢25 million left in road fund, Osei

Pay our members their due, Road contractors to government

Chairperson of Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has asserted that about 3,481 road contractors were paid last year.

He stated that the total amount of money disbursed to these 3,481 road contractors was GH¢770 million.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, the Swedru MP noted that the contractors who were paid fall in the category of those owed below GH¢1 million.

“The last time the Minister appeared before the committee was at the latter part of the last year. Government came up with the decision that those contractors that have worked and are owed below GH¢1 million should be paid. There were about 3,481 contractors and when we did the calculation, the amount was GH¢770 million. This was the end of last year," Kennedy Osei Nyarko said.

" For those owed GH¢1 million, government said it will be paid through a proper arrangement in phases. Government did the payment last year,” he stated.

He noted that an amount of GH¢25 million is left in the road fund.

“This year, on January 10, we met the Minister of Roads during the committee meeting and currently the money in the road fund account is GH¢25 million and that he doesn’t know who to pay. So it has been resolved that in case there is an emergency it can be used. Monies are released to the road fund on a quarterly basis, and we are only in the second month, so how can he [the minister] jump the gun to say that money has not been released,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Association of Road Contractors Ghana has called on government to pay its members to enable them to continue with their road projects across the country.