GOVERNMENT’S FAILURE to pay GH¢105 million debt owed some local contractors in the country is collapsing local construction firms and rendering Ghanaians jobless.
This is according to the Progressive Road Contractors Association (PROCA), who have complained that government has refused to pay its members for Cocoa Road Projects executed across the country two years ago.
PROCA says most of the contractors have retrenched their workers because they are unable to pay their monthly salaries, while some are folding up.
Mrs Juana Adjei, President of the Association, told the DAILY HERITAGE in an interview that the contractors are being chased by their bankers whom they took loans from with high interest rates.
PROCA says the banks are threatening court suits against its members, a situation which has led to the members battling emotional trauma and imminent business collapse.
The President said the debt is long overdue; however, several assurances after engagements with government have not been fulfilled.
“We met the sector Minister and they promised to pay the monies by October or November and up till now we have not been paid; some of us are receiving threatening messages.
“One day someone called and threatened to kidnap me because some people feel we are not pushing the government enough. As we speak, some of them have lost their property and others have even died and still the monies have not been paid,” she stated.
Mrs Adjei said last year, 2,000 members of PROCA and the Association of Road Contractors suspended construction work on all roads across the country due to government's inability to pay their outstanding debts.
The road contractors resumed work to complete the various projects after assurances of payment having submitted the completion certificate to the Ghana Road Fund. But, till date, the association says they have still not been paid and are calling on government to fulfill its promise.
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