Accra, Sept. 15, GNA - The Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors of Ghana (ABCECG), has called for a review of the registration process of contractors to reflect global best practices and weed out non-performing contractors.

Mr Rockson Kwesi Dogbegah, Chairman, Technical Committee of the Association, said the absence of clear-cut standards in the area of continuous monitoring of performance leading to the renewal and upgrading o= f licences for contractors had led to the proliferation of all sorts of incompetent contractors in the industry. He therefore called on the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, to be interested in the registration and classification of contractors and undertake physical inspection of the offices and equipment of contractors before and after registration as well as provide for trainin= g and retooling of contractors.

"Beyond the registration of contractors, it will also be proper to ensure that the performance of contractors is continuously monitored to serve as a basis for licence upgrades and renewals," Mr Dogbegah said at the official launch of the maiden National Building and Civil Contractors Excellence Awards in Accra.

The Excellence awards, which is opened to all local contractors and no= t only members of the Association, aims at encouraging local contractors to aspire for excellence in executing jobs. Mr Dogbegah said the poor execution of projects by some contractors ha= d provided government stance for the preference for foreign contractors to local contractors in medium to large contracts.

Launching the awards, Mr Alban Bagbin, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing called on the contractors to enhance their capacities and position themselves for opportunities under a public-private partnership. He urged the companies to form joint ventures and employ professionals to enable them compete for international contracts. Mr Bagbin assured the Association that government would look into the issue of a regulatory body for the construction industry. The Association is pushing for the establishment of an independent regulatory body to supervise activities of building and civil engineers. This body would enable contractors and clients, be it government or private business or individual, who feel unfairly treated, to seek redress from the authority.

Mr Bagbin expressed the hope that institution of the Excellence award would mark the beginning of a journey to bring the Ghanaian contractor at par with his foreign counterpart and beyond. Some of the categories to compete for include: Outstanding quality and workmanship, outstanding time and site management, outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility (Local and Foreign Category). There will also be awards for the Best Timely Paying Client and the Best Consultant. The awards on the theme: 93Excellence in the Construction and Buildin= g Industry-Restoring and Building Confidence in the Ghanaian Contractor" is slated for December 8, this year in Accra. Contractors are expected to submit entries in 14 categories with the overall winner being crowned National Building Contractor of the Year.