We've paid over GH¢750m to contractors from January to date – Kwasi Amoako-Atta

The Roads and Highways Ministry says it has paid over GH¢750 million to contractors from January this year to date.

This follows several concerns raised by contractors over unpaid arrears by the incumbent government after finishing some road projects.

Roads minister Kwasi Amoako-Atta, however, has refuted claims that government owed contractors.

“If we had not been paying contractors, they would have abandoned site. We saw it before 2017 when a number of contractors jumped site. Everybody was saying they had not been paid.”

He further disclosed that an amount of GH¢6 billion has been paid to contractors since 2017.

“We have been paying a lot of money to contractors. Of course, it does not mean we don’t owe contractors.”

Mr. Amoako-Atta who made these statements while on a six-day working visit to the five regions of the north said “this year alone from January up to date, we have paid over GH¢750 million to contractors.”

The last quarter of 2019 saw President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo authorised the release of some GH¢2.2 million which has been disbursed to contractors.

The Minister for Roads and Highways also indicated that work on the ongoing Tamale Interchange project is 40% complete adding that the contracts for the construction of Buipe and Yapei bridges project have been awarded.