News:
December 17, 2018
The Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament, Governs Kwame Agbodza has observed that the Commercial agreement including financing cost in the amount of up to US $646, 637, 879.74 between Ghana and Sinohydro Corporation ltd for some priority road infrastructure projects is the most expensive contract in the country’s history.
According to him the deal which involves 10 different contractors was too much hence the urgent need for Parliament to pay critical attention to it.
Seconding a motion for the Parliamentary approval of the deal, Mr Agbodza who is also the Member of Parliament for Adaklu noted with concern that the Government of Ghana’s counterpart funding amount to the project has also been converted into a loan facility.
He also noted that the exemption of taxes on the contract sum is a major shift from the practice over the years whiles stating that there was no indication as to how the contractors were awarded contract and stated that the Public Procurement Authority had not given approval of the deal.
The Ranking Member also observed that nothing making it obligatory for the developer to do value for money in the working agreement.
Mr Agbodza also raised concerns about how $600,000 was budgeted to secure a construction site describing it as inflated whiles the Kumasi Inner- city project charges for photography was just too astronomical.
The MP expressed worry no legal advice from the Attorney General was sought on the contract and called for a much more transparency on the contract.
By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com