Excessive Demand by Landowners may threaten early completion

Dawhenya (G/R), Dec 9, GNA - Excessive monetary demand from landowners and district councils before materials are taken from their borrowed pits as well as high transportation levies and conveyance fees may delay the completion of the Tema-Sogakope road.

Mr Gordon Amarkwei Amartey, Counterpart Resident Engineer, said the insistence of borrow pit owners in the project area on payment of high deposits before stones and gravels are taken from their sites had at times resulted in the stoppage of work for days.

He was briefing journalists on the progress of work at the firm's project site at Dawhenya on Tuesday.

The 224-billion-cedi road project is part of the ECOWAS Trans-West Africa Highway and the German and the Ghanaian governments are funding it.

It was awarded on contract in October 2002 and is scheduled for completion in 30 months. Work on the 81.3-kilometre road started in January when President John Agyekum Kufuor cut the sod to officially mark its commencement.

Mr Amartey said some landowners are demanding 200 million cedis as advance payment before materials are taken from their land.

This, he said, was contrary to the general practice where materials are used by construction firms and payment made after the project had been completed.

Besides, the huge request for advance fees would put into jeopardy the budget of 500 million cedis allocated for the purchase of materials.

Mr Amartey said, while the matter had been put before the Regional Coordinating Council and the Mineral Commission for an amicable settlement some landowners are going round instigating others not to give out their land for borrow material to the contractor.

Despite these constraints, he said, the pace of work indicates that the project would be completed on the schedule date of June 17, 2005. "We would like to take this opportunity to assure the public that the project is progressing according to schedule and we are confident to complete it by the schedule date.

''We, however, wish to admit that problems associated with borrow pit owners and some local councils in the project area pose serious constraints to the speedy execution of the project," he said.

On safety on the road, Mr Amartey said the contractor had put in place informative road signs, directional road signs and pre-warning signs and flagmen to direct motorists.

He attributed accidents that had occurred on the road to speeding and disregard for warning notices posted along the road.

Mr Amartey appealed to motorists using the Tema-Sogakope road to exercise restraint and stick to the 50-kilometre speed limit.

The contractor on the project is Messrs Daewoo Engineering and Construction from South Korea and Messrs Gauff Ingeniure from Germany are providing consultancy.