Former Minister for Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye has called out government for what he says is the lack of commitment to completing the La General hospital, despite efforts by the past NPP administration to give the project a strong footing.
According to him, the NDC government has failed to release a cedi to the contractor for the continuation of the project, adding that only GHC60 million was allocated to the project in the 2025 budget.
Dr. Okoe Boye claimed that the recent GHC130 million which the Health Minister announced has been allocated for the completion of the project is only a “futuristic allocation.”
“It is regrettable to note that since this current administration which secured an overwhelming majority of parliamentary seats in Greater Accra took office, this government has failed to pay a single GHC 1 to the contractor building the La General hospital.
“It was reported in the news that government has allocated GHC130 million towards the completion of the facility. Let me state unequivocally that that amount is only an intention. It is a futuristic allocation if any.
“The 2025 budget that was read by honourable Ato Forson made provision for GHC60 million for La General hospital. Since he read the budget in March and up till today out of the GHC60 million, not even GHC1 has been paid for the project,” he stated.
Dr. Okoe Boye explained that the previous NPP administration under Akufo-Addo paid GHC150 million to the contractor as certificates to avoid the project being abandoned.
“The project became one of the many casualties of Ghana’s Domestic Debt Exchange programme which disrupted the financing arrangement and halted funding from the Chinese creditors.
“To prevent total abandonment, the previous NPP administration took the bold step of continuing the project using Government of Ghana funds. The NPP administration duly honoured the IPC’s that were raised by the contractor after executing the work.
“The Akufo-Addo government paid two of those certificates totaling about GHC150 million that is why the hospital project started off,” he added.
