The Ghana Chamber of Construction Industries has expressed concern over government’s decision to subject all road contracts to a one-year competitive bidding process, warning that the move could affect project timelines and industry operations.
This follows an announcement by the Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, that all road contracts under the country’s infrastructure agenda will go through a full year of competitive bidding before commencement.
The decision comes amid scrutiny over procurement practices, especially after an exposé by The Fourth Estate revealed that many contracts under the “Big Push” programme were previously awarded through sole sourcing.
Reacting to the development on Starr Today, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industries, Emmanuel Cherry, said the industry is not entirely comfortable with the new approach.
“At the moment, the construction industry is facing challenges due to past issues that have affected the sector. As a result, there is a need for a complete overhaul within the construction fraternity. This is one of the key factors driving the changes we are currently seeing,” he said.
Mr. Cherry stressed that while a one-year timeline may be realistic in some cases, procurement processes must be guided by technical assessments and the nature of each project.
“We need to analyze the situation on the ground and approach it accordingly. If one year is necessary, we will go with that. If it turns out to be less, all parties will return to the table to review and agree on the next steps,” he explained.
He further noted that different procurement methods—such as single sourcing, selective tendering, and competitive tendering—are used depending on project requirements, with each having implications for speed and efficiency.
“Single source may be faster, followed by selective tendering, and finally competitive tendering. Depending on the method and conditions on the ground, a project could take up to one year,” he added.
The Chamber is calling for careful consideration to ensure that while transparency is enhanced, project delivery is not unnecessarily delayed.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh / Benjamin Sackey
