Task force proposes ranking of contractors.

November 3, 2007

Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah
A FIVE-MEMBER task force instituted by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has proposed a rating and ranking mechanism, as well as an award scheme for contractors. This is expected to encourage the various category of contractors to strive for excellence.
The proposal, when accepted, is intended to effectively improve the construction industry and help entities in their evaluation process to select the best contractors for their works.
The quality of performance and negative perception of Ghanaian contractors and consultants are said to be of concern to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning hence the setting up of the task force.
The five-member task force, which was set up on October 10, 2007 to study the situation and make recommendations for improvement, submitted its findings to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, in Accra on Wednesday.
In addition to the rating, ranking and the institution of the award schemes, the team also recommended improvement on the overall performance in the construction industry.
The report stated that the implementation of the recommendations would immensely improve the construction industry in the country and increase the number of projects to be implemented through savings.
It pointed out that the exercise would subsequently remove the negative perceptions of local contractors and enable them to compete with their foreign counterparts.
A civil engineer and Chairman of the Public Procurement Board, Mr Kwesi Abbey Sam, is the chairman of the task force, with Dr Charity Akotia, a psychologist; Mr Eric Appiah, a quantity surveyor; Mrs Sylvia Asare, a civil engineer, and Mrs Rosemary Mills-Tettey, an architect, as members.
Receiving the report, Mr Baah-Wiredu said now that Ghana was on the international market, there was the need for excellent performance to convince those who had invested in the economy to be rest assured.
He said the issue of quality work featured prominently during the discussion on the sovereign bond and urged individuals and groups in the construction industry to do their best in all that they did.
He hinted that the proposals made by the task force would be studied and captured in next year’s budget, which would be read by the middle of this month to send the signal to investors that they had not invested in vain.
Mr Baah-Wiredu stressed that in addition to the awards to be presented, names of contractors who performed but did not win any awards would be published to motivate them and encourage others to strive higher.
For his part, Mr Abbey Sam said in the performance of its duty, the task force identified problems in six areas which adversely affected the construction industry in Ghana and mentioned classification of contractors, standards and specification, contract procedures, contractors’ establishment, resource constraints and late or non payments for works.
He said the team had, therefore, recommended various measures to improve all aspects of the industry.