All roads to be made motorable by next - Adjei-Darko

The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Friday said it is the government's objective to empower local contractors through capacity building programmes to enable them to rise to the growing demands on the industry.

He therefore, called on agencies in the road sector to enter partnership with foreign counterparts to enable them to share experiences and technology transfer.

Inaugurating a 10-member Board of Directors of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) in Accra under the chairmanship of Mr. Joseph Albert Danso Jnr, Managing Director of Marsdan Construction, Alhaji Mahama reminded them of the government's policy of zero-tolerance for corruption in all public affairs and said he hoped it would permeate all their actions.

The Vice President said Ghanaians and donor agencies expect first class road network. The GHA should therefore, strengthen its supervisory capacity to check poor works, which often attract negative comments.

Alhaji Mahama said such complaints and reactions impose a heavy obligation on the Authority to ensure that the huge investments in the industry achieve positive results.

He said, since the country's financial resources were limited, the Board Members would have to ensure that the limited funds available to the Authority were carefully and judiciously utilised.

"Procurement for works and services, administration and other related expenditures should be critically examined in a bid to cut down expenses as well as obtaining value for money."

Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Roads and Highways, advised the Board Members against interfering in the day-to-day activities of the management.

He said that his ministry wants to ensure that by next year, all roads in the country are made motorable. "All road sector agencies are therefore, expected to take account of roads which are unpaved so that a systematic approach would be made to grade each road once a year while taking account of roads which need re-gravelling."

Mr. Adjei-Darko said new methods of road construction, which are cost effective, are being adopted by the Ministry to stabilise road networks in the country.

Mr. Danso, on behalf of the Board Members thanked the government for their appointment and stressed the need for policies to be put in place to ensure that the workers are well motivated and have the needed requirements to perform their duties.