The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industries, Emmanuel Cherry, has urged the Ministry of Roads and Highways to balance its enforcement of construction standards with timely payments to contractors who deliver quality work.

His comment comes after the Roads Minister, Kwame Governs Agbodza, in recent weeks reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that only qualified and competent contractors are engaged, warning of serious consequences for those who fall short.

In an interview on Channel One news on Sunday, Mr Cherry said it was unnecessary for the Minister to repeatedly warn contractors about termination and non-payment over poor performance, as such measures are already outlined in contractual agreements.

He added that just as the Ministry is firm on penalising underperformance, it must also honour its obligations when contractors meet expectations.

Mr. Cherry stressed the importance of fairness, noting that contractors must not be left vulnerable to delayed compensation for their investments and efforts.

He further noted that delayed payments continue to cripple the operations of many contractors, some of whom pre-finance projects with loans under tight timelines.

“If the minister is saying that if you do shoddy work, he’s not going to pay you and terminate the contract, it’s enshrined in the document. Therefore, he does not need to even say it. The document is there to dictate.

“The same applies as he is vehemently championing this, he must also prepare that if a contractor is also able to do good quality work, he must also pay on time.”

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