The Ministry of Roads and Highways has said that it is working towards securing funding in the 2018 budget for works on roads in the Eastern Corridor.
Long stretches of the project have been abandoned in recent months, with contractors citing a lack of funds for their inability to continue with the work.
[contextly_sidebar id=”5tEjRzJUjtaH7ctYOF8aDYnFuZGhLusK”]The situation has left the stretches in deplorable long hours on journeys that should otherwise have been taken in minutes.
However, the Ministry insists that they are working with the Ministry of Finance, which is currently preparing the 2018 budget, to ensure that the Eastern Corridor Road projects are earmarked for funding.
“As far as we are concerned, we are rescoping the work and looking at ensuring that by 2018, all these roads are captured in the 2018 budget, especially now when we are in the process of preparing a new budget,” a Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Anthony Karbo, told Citi News.
“Our Minister, the Minister of Finance and the relevant agencies are working around the clock to ensure that at least, more than 50% of the works on the road must begin and be factored into the 2018 budget.”
Anthony Karbo also stated that, the government will engage new road contractors to replace the current ones who have abandoned the project.
This, he believes, will enable work on the project to proceed in the new year, and alleviate some of the troubles of road users on the stretches.
“Many of the contractors have abandoned the sites because of lack of funds. We need to work out processes to ensure that those contractors disengage from the contracts and allow for new contractors to take over so that works on those projects can begin to go forward,” he said.
“Rescoping will also mean that the scope of work that they had would have to be looked at, vis a vis what they have done so far and at what point we want them to terminate for new contractors to take over.”
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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana