• Live Radio
  • Videos
  • About
  • Contact
  • Despite Media
Ghana Election 2020
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • VIDEOS
  • Media
    • Videos
    • Audio
    • Live Radio
    • Photos
  • Election 2020
Local News
 
 
 
Home Comment Editorial 202007

Works And Housing Minister Smells Rat In Conti Drainage Project Agreement

04-Jul-2020
/ Editorial, Comment
Email
Print
Comments 0
Samuel Atta Akyea
(0)
Comments
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
 

The Minister of Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea, has said his outfit has detected a US$55,285,866 difference in what parliament approved for the Conti Group of Companies and what government finally entered into with the group for the Conti drainage project.

He said despite parliament approving US$538,299,497 for the drainage project, the contract sum of agreement between the government and the group was US$593,585,636.

“The difference of US$55, 285,866 cannot be traced to any justifiable expenditure, particularly against the backdrop that, the estimate was computed without proper and adequate engineering drawings, design and bills of quantities.

“If the difference was the Exim Bank exposure fee on the loan facility as stated in the memorandum to parliament, “we are yet to comprehend why the bank would waive such a huge sum of money in respect of the reduced contract price,” he said.

Mr Akyea made this known in parliament, Accra, yesterday when responding to a question by the Member for Nsawam/Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh who wanted to know what had become of the Conti project.

The Conti project agreement, signed in 2012, was to address Accra’s decades old sanitation and flooding challenges.

According to Mr Akyea, MP, Abuakwa South, evidence from the Architectural and Engineering Services Limited (AESL) in a value for money audit report in 2013 concluded that, “the so-called engineering drawings, designs, and bill of quantities could not in any way justify the loan amount of US$593,585,636.

“AESL asserts that the figure US$593,585,636 is US$14,700,000 higher than the estimated fair and reasonable price of US$581,036,642,” adding that the AESL was emphatic that “Conti did not have a complete feasibility report on the project and neither did it have the bill of quantities which will pass any international test,” he said.

Describing the Conti project as “excessively exorbitant,” Mr Akyea said the cost of nine drainage basins in total was US$423,372,400, saying “it is very difficult to come to terms with the fact that a single project should be priced at US$593,585,636.”

The AESL as the official consultants on the project, he said, was not allowed to vet Conti’s incomplete engineering document as well as the amount before it was submitted to parliament for approval.

He said despite no work done, government advanced the payment of US$9,581,210 to the Conti Group for expenditures like airfares, hotel accommodation for Conti officials, and “uncertified” engineering works.

On why the facility could not be received for the project to take off, Mr Akyea said there has been a restructuring which saw the Exim Bank of America reducing its US$538 million to US$280 million and the Standard Chartered Bank component of US$125 million abandoned under a new arrangement of phasing out.

His outfit, the Abuakwa South MP said, was in talks with the Attorney General’s Department to consider the civil aspect of the matter and refer the criminal aspect to the Ghana Police Service for investigation and prosecution.

To address the challenges the Conti was contracted to fix, the Minister said the current government had reached an alternative to fix the annual flooding menace in the national capital and other parts of the country.

“The Akufo-Addo government has secured a better alternative. This is cost-effective and will give this great nation value-for-money,” he said.

Source: Ghanaian Times

 

 
 

 

Comments ( 0 ): Post Your Comments >>

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.
Featured Video
Previous Post

What Is The Next NDC STUNT?

Next Post

Playing The Victim

 
 

More Stories

Gov’t, Religion And Economy
Emotional Justice In The World Of Diplomacy
ECG & Kroboland Impasse Needs A Peaceful Solution
Gone But Not For Good
Time To Support Our Printing Industry To Grow
Black Stars: Let’s Bear Cost, Instead Of Suffering More Heartbreaks
We Need To Uphold Ghana’s Democratic Credentials
Bagre Dam Spillage, Floods And What We Are Not Doing To Stop It
Coronavirus Economic Policy: Proposed 'Obaatan Pa' Recovery Plan Impressive
Next Post

Playing The Victim

  Opinion

  • Articles/Features
  • Editorials
  • Announcement
  • Press Release


 
 

Other Editorial Stories

  • Gov’t, Religion And Economy

  • Emotional Justice In The World Of Diplomacy

  • ECG & Kroboland Impasse Needs A Peaceful Solution

  • Gone But Not For Good

  • Time To Support Our Printing Industry To Grow

  • Black Stars: Let’s Bear Cost, Instead Of Suffering More Heartbreaks

  • We Need To Uphold Ghana’s Democratic Credentials

  • Bagre Dam Spillage, Floods And What We Are Not Doing To Stop It

  • Coronavirus Economic Policy: Proposed 'Obaatan Pa' Recovery Plan Impressive

  • Infectious Disease Isolation Centre Completion Attests To ‘Can-Do’ Spirit Of Ghanaians

 

 
 

Popular Videos

Kokrokoo Discussion Segment On Peace 104.3 FM (3/02/2023)

Peace Power Sports (3/02/2023)

Kokrokoo Live On Peace 104.3 FM (2/02/2023)

Peace Power Sports (2/02/2023)

Peace Power Sports Review (2/02/2023)

Akan News @ Midday On Peace 104.3 FM (3/02/2023)

Peace FM Online and Despite Media

peacefmonline.com offers its reading audience with a comprehensive online source for up-to-the-minute news about politics, business, entertainment and other issues in Ghana

Follow us on social media:

Category

  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Trivia
  • Foreign
  • Audio
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Elections
Decision Time
Ghana Election 2020 2016 Elections
Services
Live Radio Audio on Demand Ghana Elections Advertise with Us
Useful Links
Despite Media About Us Contact Us Feedback Form Terms and Conditions Privacy
Our Brands
Despite Media UTV Peace FM Okay FM Hello FM Neat FM Peacefmonline
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2020 Peacefmonline.com - An online portal owned and managed by Despite Media

  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Articles
  • Trivia
  • Foreign
  • Live Radio
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Audio
  • Election 2020

© 2020 Peacefmonline.com - An online portal owned and managed by Despite Media