Monitor Contractors For Quality Project Delivery – NGO
Mr Elimelec Osei-Bempong, a Project Officer of SMAid International, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has implored the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to constantly monitor contractors working on their projects to ensure quality work delivery.
Mr Osei-Bempong made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Kukuom in the Asunafo South District of the Ahafo Region after a monitoring exercise of some Ghana Strengthen Accountability Mechanism (GSAM) Projects being implemented in that District.
Earlier, he inspected some projects in the Sunyani West Municipality in the Bono Region.
The GSAM, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project, seeks to strengthen citizens’ oversight of capital development projects to improve local government transparency, accountability and performance.
It encompassed educational, social, economic and health facilities like classroom blocks with offices and toilet facilities, market stalls, clinics, nurses and doctors bungalows. The residents of beneficiary communities are equipped with skills and knowledge to demand accountability from duty-bearers to justify funding from donor partners. Mr Osei-Bempong said most of the projects awarded on contract more than two years were still not completed whilst those finished did not meet the expected quality standard.
He said some of the projects completed were not handed over to improve the living standards of residents in the beneficiary communities.
Mr Osei-Bempong said details of contracts as to the quality of work and completion schedules should be outlined to contractors before awarding of any contract so that any breach of it could attract the necessary sanctions for the public interest.
He said any contractor who did a shoddy work must not be spared but sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to others.
Mr Osei-Bempong urged the beneficiary communities to adhere to regular maintenance to prolong the life span of the projects.
