Roads and Highway Minister, Kwesi Amoako-Atta has said road contractors will now bear a five-year defect liability as part of efforts to improve road networks in the country.

According to the sector Minister, the directive has become necessary as it is suspected that the previous 12-months defect liability period made way for lots of shoddy road works.

“So now we are moving it to five years defect liability period, because the 12-months liability period for us, has existed all these while, gave a lot of people to slip through,” he said Sunday.

Mr Amoako-Atta who was addressing the media noted that the initial liability period has proven to be unsustainable since these many roads begin to show signs of deterioration after about a year.

“Roads, however poorly constructed, is likely to withstand whatever shock within 12 months then thereafter, the government will be saddled with maintenance till thy kingdom comes.”

A chuck of the country’s roads have been described as death traps begging for attention and have on some occasions led to accidents in the country.

Many Ghanaians have blamed the government for the menace, but the Minister assures the story will soon change following the new directive.

“We are changing it, that trend is changed. You construct roads as a road contractor, you keep it for five years, so if you do poor work, it will be on your head for five years,” he stressed.

Mr Amoako-Attah, therefore, encouraged road contractors to work by the specification as the directive is to emulate the standard of the World Bank.

He said he is optimistic that Ghana has competent contractors just as in other countries, “but at the same time, I can’t stand here as the sector Minister and say that all contractors are good. I can’t say that.”

Touching on Cocoa roads, he said 325 projects are currently ongoing simultaneously across cocoa growing areas in the country.

“By the time they are completed, we would have done about 5000km of roads at a total cost of ¢14.5 billion.”

According to him, the Akufo-Addo administration has seen about 1300km and hoping to do more.

He, therefore, assured the general public of an improved road network, adding that “every region is covered.”