President John Mahama has announced that promised that under the Big Push infrastructure programme, contractors will receive payments within two weeks of submitting their payment certificates.
According to him, the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has given him that assurance.
“This year, we set aside 14 billion Ghana cedis for the Big Push. And the Finance Minister has assured me that all the contractors will get 15% mobilization to be able to mobilize to site. And he has also assured me that any contractor on the Big Push projects who presents his certificate for payment will be paid within two weeks of presentation of the certificate. So no contractor will have the excuse that he has not been paid. And so we want to see work continuing as soon as the contract is awarded,” President Mahama stated during hi Thank You tour in the Upper West Region on May 15.
The President also revealed that an expressway will be constructed that would enable travelers from Accra to Kumasi spend only 2 and half hours instead of the current 4 hours on the trip.
He said this will ease travel between the two major cities in Ghana.
“Cabinets will soon approve priority projects under the Big Push infrastructural program. Understandably, a significant number of these priority projects will be in the road sector. These works include the dualization of major highways, including the Accra-Kumasi, Accra-Takoradi, Accra-Aflao roads.
The President also announced that “we’ll upgrade roads in the Wa-East, Nadowli, the Fema-Buse-Issa, and Sisala-East districts to improve access to markets, schools, and health facilities. My brothers and sisters, work will begin very soon. In a few months, you’ll see contractors on all these roads because the money has been provided in the budget.”
