Parliament has by a resolution approved two loan facilities totalling €350 million for the construction of the 104 kilometer Bunso-Adawso road and a bridge over the Afram River at Adawso-Ekyi Amanfrom.
At the cost of €150 million and €200 million respectively, if completed, the road and bridge would enhance safe transportation and reduce travel time within the Afram Plains enclave of the Eastern Region.
For the Bunso-Adawso road, general items would cost €8.6 million, consultancy service €9.6 million, earthworks €14.1 million, paving €67.8, concrete and steel bridges €6.3 million, drainage €16.4 million, signalling €4.6 million, relocation of utilities and compensation €8.3 million, lighting €3 million and contingency €11 million.
The scope of the project includes the rehabilitation of the 58.7 million Begoro – Kwahu Tafo road, rehabilitation of the 20 kilometer Kwahu Tafo – Adawso road and the rehabilitation of the 110 kilometer Ekyi-Amanfrom – Donkorkrom road.
To be completed three years from the commencement date, 15 per cent of the contract sum is expected to be advanced to the contractor after he or she has submitted payment guarantee in form of substance acceptable to the employer.
For the €200 million bridge project, the cost components include €10 million for engineering design; €6.5 million for mobilisation and site preparation; €103 million for the construction of substructure; €72 million for supply and installation of composite superstructure; €3.5 million for bridge furniture and €5 million for toll and weight stations.
According to the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Roads and Transport on the facility, “the main objective of the project is to enhance productivity in the agriculture sector of the Afram Plains area.
Moving the motion for the adoption of the resolution in Parliament, yesterday, Chairman of the Committee, and MP for Akim Oda, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, said the two projects, if completed, would improve the mobility of people in the area.
With a 30 per cent local content contained in the contract, he said apart from projects opening up the area for investments, many people would be engaged in the construction process.
On the erection of toll plaza on the bridge, Mr Nyarko said the Committee wondered why a toll plaza should be provided when tolls had been abolished.
“The Committee was, however, informed that discussions on road tolls are still ongoing and will be concluded when the E-Levy consultations are finalised. The Committee was further informed that the construction of the toll plaza could be reviewed and utilised for other purposes,” he said.
Ranking Member on the Committee and MP for Adaklu, Governs Kwame Agbodza said value for money must be done to give the taxpayer a good price for the projects.
“Mr Speaker, if we want to do a better job for this country, the selection of value for money auditing firms must be done just the way ordinary audit firms are selected in this country. They go through competitive bidding,” Mr Agbodza said.
In his view, it was difficult to determine if the projects have undergone effective value for money audits because nobody could independently verify same.
Mr Agbodza said the move to construct the 104 kilometers of road and build the three-kilometer bridge was good,because it would facilitate economic activities.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
