Accra, Jan. 9, GNA – Building and civil
engineering contractors say they are ready to collaborate with government to
fulfil its infrastructure agenda in 2020.
The leadership said members of the
Association are preparing themselves to play active role in the various
infrastructure projects to be undertaken in the coming years.
Mr Prosper Yao Ledi, the President of the
Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors of Ghana (ABCECG),
made these comments at the Association’s end of year get-together to take stock
of the past year and strategise for the coming years.
Indigenous contractors have long complained
about unlevelled playing field and neglect by governments in preference to
their foreign counterparts.
While conceding that some indigenous players
have acted in ways that have negatively affected their image, the President of
ABCECG argued that the work of a few bad nuts should not define all of them.
Mr Ledi said the Association has proactively
begun engaging key stakeholders to procure state-of-the-art equipment that
would be available to members to enable them to undertake major projects in the
country.
He said the initiative has resulted in two
companies; United States based John Deere and China FAW Group, supporting the
Association with relevant equipment.
“Our agenda is to secure very relevant
machinery so that our members can hire them to undertake major projects, so
government should recognise our readiness and work with us”.
There has been a series of Made in Ghana
campaigns in recent times, the most recent being a drive for the consumption of
Ghana rice; Mr Ledi lauded the advocacy campaign, adding that such a campaign
must be comprehensive and extend to all sectors, so that Ghana’s products and
services will be preferred ahead of foreign counterparts.
“If we have to stop the perennial
depreciation of the cedi and high unemployment, then the Made in Ghana campaign
must cover everything and we are putting our house in order for that to
happen”.
A few months ago, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, the
Minister for Works and Housing, endorsed efforts to make membership of
contractor associations a prerequisite to qualify for contracts.
This endorsement is yielding the needed
result as a number of building contractors are going through the process to
either renew their membership of ABCECG or apply for membership.
The ABCECG President commended foreign
contractors who are registered with the Association saying their action is
worthy of emulation and urged other foreign construction firms operating in the
country to comply and get registered.
Delayed payments and non-payments of
interest on delayed arrears have been major challenges that contractors have
been battling over the years.
Mr Ledi said the pain of the arrears are
debilitating and that the Association would continue to engage government to
end the practice, adding that it was a major agenda for the coming year.
The ABCECG President said 2020 would also be
used to pursue the setting up of the Construction Industry Development
Authority, which he explained, has been on the drawing board for far too long.
“The building and civil engineering
contractors are hopeful of a better year and will do all that is within their
power to be credible partners in the development of the country’s
infrastructure,” Mr Ledi added.
GNA
