Asenso-Boakye blames government-imposed fiscal restrictions for stalled GARID projects, cites World Bank report

Member of Parliament for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye has launched a blistering attack on the government over what he describes as the "avoidable slowdown" of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, insisting that a recent assessment by the World Bank confirms that key flood control interventions have been crippled by government-imposed fiscal restrictions.

The Bantama MP argued that, despite the project remaining fully financed by the World Bank, implementation has suffered major setbacks due to cash-flow challenges stemming from fiscal measures introduced by the Ministry of Finance in 2025. According to him, these restrictions have left contractors unpaid, delayed Interim Payment Certificates and significantly slowed work on critical flood mitigation infrastructure across Accra.

Asenso-Boakye maintained that the previous New Patriotic Party administration handed over a project that was already well underway, having secured international financing, completed engineering designs and awarded contracts for several strategic interventions aimed at reducing perennial flooding in the capital.

He noted that by the end of the Akufo-Addo administration, dredging works on the Odaw River had commenced, construction contracts for the Achimota-Abofu, South Kaneshie and Dr. Busia Highway drains had been awarded, while the Nima–Paloma–Odawna Drain project was also under implementation.

He further highlighted the completion of Atomic East land protection works, the installation of the Accra Flood Early Warning System and the readiness to begin procurement for the Atomic East and West Detention Ponds.

However, the MP claimed the current state of the project paints a worrying picture. He alleged that work on several projects has either slowed significantly or completely stalled due to delayed payments, with some contractors abandoning sites altogether.

He warned that vital interventions designed to protect flood-prone communities are now at a standstill.

"The issue is not funding," Asenso-Boakye stressed, pointing to the World Bank's assessment that the project remains fully financed.

"The problem is the government's fiscal controls, which have disrupted payments to contractors and slowed implementation."

He called on the government to move beyond political rhetoric and urgently restore momentum to the GARID Project, arguing that every delay exposes thousands of residents to the devastating consequences of flooding.

"As lives continue to be lost and properties destroyed during every rainy season, Ghanaians deserve action, not excuses," the Bantama MP stated, urging the government to fast-track the completion of the critical flood control projects initiated under the previous administration.

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