The Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work on the Western Railway Line being constructed by Amandi Holdings Limited.
In 2020, Ghana and Amandi Holdings Limited signed a $560 million agreement for the construction of sections of the Western Railway Line (Standard Gauge) between Takoradi Harbour and Huni Valley.
The contract covers 102 kilometres of continuous single-track railway. It also includes the conversion of a 10.6-kilometre dual gauge track between Takoradi and Kojokrom from narrow gauge to standard gauge. In addition, the project involves constructing about 60 kilometres of railway from Manso to Huni Valley, along with eight stations along the Amantin–Huni Valley stretch.
However, During a working visit to assess progress, the committee identified significant gaps in the execution of the project. Members questioned why the stretch from Kojokrom to Manso remains incomplete despite substantial payments made by government to the contractor.
Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Wassa East, Isaac Adjei Mensah, voiced his disappointment, demanding a comprehensive report from the project consultants on the status of the work.
“I’m not impressed about the work… I think Amandi has a whole lot of performance gap. And when you look into the details of the contract, what they are doing, their performance and so on. as far as I’m concerned, I think that the government has done enough, a lot, in terms of, meeting its obligation” he said.
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“The challenge that there has have been a change in the government and giving the steps of payment, they should have been able to fill in the 7% for the Kojokrom to Manso. That is critical. And the other one is that we are disappointed that they have vacated site,” he added.
Chairman Isaac Adjei Mensah accused the contractor of being “crafty” in its dealings with the government and failing to meet expectations.
To further investigate the delays, the Chairman has tasked the project consultants, TEAM Engineering SpA, to submit a detailed report on the status of the project, “the extent of deterioration is also something that I’ve asked them to bring reports on that term going forward”.
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The project, considered the largest single railway contract in Ghana’s history, was scheduled for completion within 42 months from its commencement in October 2020. However, this timeline has not been met, with the contractor reportedly abandoning the site on several occasions.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
