Government committed to support local contractors

Daboase (W/R), Aug. 15, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday pledged the Government's commitment to assist competent Ghanaian road and building contractors to undertake good quality jobs. He said the government had made arrangements for the importation of road construction equipment to enable Ghanaian road contractors to execute contracts according to international standards. President Kufuor made the pledge when he addressed a durbar of the chiefs and people of Mpohor Wassa East at Daboase to begin a four-day tour of the Western Region.

He had earlier inspected work on the on-going 7.6-kilometre Daboase Junction to Daboase road being funded by the International Development Agency (IDA) of the World Bank at the cost of 4.1 billion cedis. President Kufuor said the road network in the area would be extended to connect Twifo-Praso in the Central Region.

He appealed to mining companies operating in the country to ensure that the standard of living of the communities in which they operate were improved.

The new Mining Law, President Kufuor said would cater for both the mining companies and the communities on a win-win situation.

Dr Richard Winfred Anane, Minister of Roads and Transport who accompanied the President on the tour told the Ghana News Agency that major problems facing the contractors were management and lack of modern machinery and equipment.

He said the Government had provided assistance to the contractors to improve on their managerial skills and with regard to machinery and equipment, the Government with the assistance of the Spanish and Indian governments and the National Investment Bank had made arrangement for the importation of road construction equipment for the contractors to improve on their performance.

Osabarima Kow Ntsie II, Omanhene of Mpohor expressed the people' gratitude to the Government for the efforts to provide the area with good roads, health and education infrastructure. He urged the Government to bring pressure to bear on contractors working on a number of economically important roads whose completion was far behind schedule.

The roads included the Daboase-Atieku, Mpohor-Adum-Banso and Daboase-Benso roads.

Osabarima Ntsie appealed for the provision of residential accommodation for teachers and said the lack of the facility had negatively affected the standard of education in the area. Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Western Regional Minister thanked the people for their loyalty and support for the New Patriotic Party particularly during the last general election.

He said the Government would keep faith with the people and continue to work hard to make life better for the people.