Gov't Must Be Bold And Cancel All Non-Performing Contracts – Deputy Minister
Deputy Minister for Works and Housing and Member of Parliament for Subin Constituency, Eugene Boakye Antwi, has asked government to take bold steps and cancel all non-performing contracts.
He says it is better for government to pay judgement debt to those contracts rather than pay excessively for no work done.
Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he expressed worry as to why government is paying so much, especially in the energy sector for no power generation.
Those monies spent by government can be used to improve the country’s poor road network, fix hospitals and improve the country’s infrastructure.
"I know it will be very difficult for government to take that decision but I believe it will save government millions of cedis to provide basic infrastructure for the people of Ghana," he added.
Ken Ofori-Atta says the government has saved monies from renegotiated contracts.
The Finance Minister has insisted that the Akufo-Addo-led administration is spending the taxpayers’ money judiciously.
In his budget review presentation in Parliament on Monday, the Finance Minister told parliament that the government has "been able to entrench fiscal discipline through the strategic allocation of resources, efficiency in the use of public funds, as well as enhancing transparency and accountability in management of the public purse.”
In addition, Ken Ofori-Atta said in their two and half years in office, the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has saved the state GH¢2.75 billion in reviewed contracts.
This, he said breaks down to GH¢800 million in 2017, GH¢1.1 billion in 2018, and GH¢1.085 billion in 2019. The Minister said the contracts under the spotlight here are the ones which “were either sole-sourced or procured through restrictive tender.”
According to Ken Ofori-Atta, despite the fact that the Akufo-Addo government has awarded more contracts under sole-sourcing and restrictive tender annually than any year, they have nonetheless chalked savings.
However, the erstwhile John Mahama administration, according to Mr. Ofori-Atta, saved absolutely nothing.
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