Entire contract cost for Pokrom market GH¢924,000 - Ministry of Finance
PIAC rejects market projects, says it is sub-standard
The Public Interest and Accountability Committee has described a market project funded with oil revenue through the Annual Budget Funding Amount as sub-standard.
According to the committee, the project located in Pokrom in the Akwapim South District has not been properly executed, JoyBusiness reports have stated.
The contractor, Mass Premium Limited has been asked however, to return to the site to ensure that the market is re-constructed and fit for purpose.
According to PIAC, the project has been reported as fully completed by Mass Premium Limited but cannot be described as such since it does not meet the standard of a good rural market.
“This cannot be described as a completed project as we were told in the report because it is below expectation and doesn’t meet the standard of a good rural market for the people”.
“Just look at cracks all over even before it will be handed over to the assembly; and look at the condition. I bet to say that this doesn’t go well with our national development and it is unfortunate that this is not value for money. In fact, it is unacceptable” he said.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the entire contract costs about GH¢924,000 whiles PIAC reveals that the rural market project with storage and mechanized borehole received more than GH¢581,000 from the 2020 Annual Budget Funding Amount.
The ABFA is the amount of petroleum revenues allocated to support Ghana’s annual budget.
Member of PIAC, Alhadji Ahmed Anderson, who led a delegation to the project site described the work as unacceptable.
According to a Joy Business report, efforts to reach officials of the assembly proved futile as Municipal Planning Officer of the assembly, James Abugre, who was with the team on the inspection tour declined to comment on the issue.
Assembly Member of the Pokrom Nsaban area, Amedi Ahwereng wants government’s intervention in getting the contractors back to the site to properly complete the project.
“You know how critical this market will be to us because most of our people are farmers and we don’t have a good facility to sell our produce. But let me say clearly that the job done by the contractor is abysmal.”
“We have tried to reach the consultant to get them back to work but all efforts have failed. We need government to do something about the situation because we really need the market” he lamented to Joy Business.
The team also visited a refurbished headmistress bungalow and office building for the Aburi Girls Senior High School funded by oil proceeds, costing almost GH¢100,000 which work has been described as satisfactory.
Public Interest and Accountability Committee