Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea, has assured contractors in the country that government would settle all their arrears in the shortest possible time.
Mr Atta Akyea revealed this after the contractors working on the Shama Sea Defence wall in the Western Region- Xara Developers, complained that they had not been paid by government.
The Minister travelled to the Western Region for a two-day working visit to inspect various projects under construction and interacted with the chiefs and people of the various communities.
“They (contractors) have done so much work but received so little because of the obvious challenges of the economy, and these are matters that I think with a new drive to energise the economy will be matters of the past,” he noted.
He pointed out that government had already settled some debts in other sectors.
“If you care to know we have settled good arrears. It’s on record. Just about five months down the line, you will be shocked that a lot of monies have been paid,” he revealed.
Mr Atta Akyea stated that the new administration has no intention of diverting state funds for personal gains.
“There is a huge liability in terms of arrears to contractors that we have inherited but we won’t complain. We’ll solve the problems.”
Chief of Aboadze in the Shama District, Nana Kobina Artom III, decried the insanitary conditions at beaches in the community, attributing it to the lack of toilet facilities.
He noted that several attempts to get Xara Developers, the construction company in charge of the sea defence along the Aboadze coastal line to honour its promises of providing toilet facilities for the community have proved futile.
Nana Artom III mentioned that there could be an outbreak of diseases in the community due to the situation.
According to him, his fears were heightened after the rains set in.
“We will however plead with the minister to ensure that our request for toilet and bath house is taken care of.”
Mr Atta Kyea urged Xara Developers to execute the project as part of its corporate social responsibility to benefit the indigenes.
From Shama, the Minister also visited Axim, capital of the Nzema East Municipality where he assured the people that very soon the sea defence wall in the area would be completed by the current government.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi