The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industries, Emmanuel Cherry, has called on the Ministry of Roads and Highways to ensure that its strict approach to enforcing construction standards is matched by a prompt payment system for contractors who meet expectations.

His remarks come after the Roads Minister, Kwame Governs Agbodza, reiterated his stance on only engaging qualified contractors and warned of severe penalties, including the termination of contracts, for those who fail to meet the required standards.

In a discussion on Channel One news on Sunday, Cherry expressed his view that repeated threats about contract termination and non-payment are unnecessary since such consequences are already specified in the agreements.

He further stressed the need for a balanced approach, noting that while it is important to penalize underperformance, the Ministry must also ensure contractors who deliver quality work are paid in a timely manner. Delays in payments, according to Cherry, continue to pose significant challenges to contractors, many of whom rely on loans to finance projects with strict deadlines.

“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,” Cherry pointed out.