The Ministry of Roads and Highways has inaugurated a nine-member Ministerial Advisory Board, comprising senior government officials and industry experts, to help steer reforms in Ghana’s road sector.
The board, chaired by Mr Governs Kwame Agbodza, the Roads and Highways Minister, has Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Minister of Finance, Mr. Alhassan Suhunyi, Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, and Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, Deputy Attorney General, as members.
The rest are Mr Francis Komla Ganyaglo, a private person; Mr. Samuel Kwasi Akuaku from the ministry, Mr Magnus Lincoln Quarshie, Ghana Institution of Engineering; Dr. Charles Afetornu, Ghana Institute of Surveyors, and Mr. Eric Tetteh-Addison, Ministry of Transport.
Speaking at the inauguration, in Accra, Mr Agbodza, underscored the urgency of addressing long-standing challenges in the roads sector.
He noted that the ministry was grappling with over GH¢40 billion in unpaid debts to contractors and an unsustainable project portfolio exceeding GH¢120 billion.
“Ghanaians are genuinely not happy with their road network wherever they live,” the Minister said.
“We created the problem together; we have decided to work together to fix it.”
Mr Agbodza criticised past practices where projects were awarded without financial clearance, resulting in massive cost overruns.
He stressed the need for stricter regulation of materials, especially bitumen, citing the absence of national oversight on who imported and supplied road construction materials.
“Anybody can bring anything and apply it to a road near you, and no wonder it fails,” he noted.
“Even sachet water requires Ghana Standards Authority supervision. Why not bitumen?”
The Minister called for improved supervision and accountability by contractors, consultants, and regulatory agencies, questioning why some roads certified as completed by consultants failed within six months.
He highlighted government’s ambitious infrastructure agenda, describing the Big Push programme, including the Accra–Kumasi Expressway, as one of the largest domestically financed road investments on the African continent.
Dr Ato Forson, on his part, reaffirmed government’s commitment to funding critical road projects, including the Big Push initiative.
He pledged the Board’s support to ensure that the Minister succeeded.
“We are here to make sure that you succeed in your role as the Minister responsible for roads and highways…”
“And most importantly to ensure that the vision of the President, particularly the implementation of his big push programme, the Accra-Kumasi Expressway in particular and all other flagships, including the Dambai Bridge and the Achia Amanfrom Bridge become a reality,” he said.
Dr Forson said his presence on the board signaled the Finance Ministry’s deep interest in ensuring value for money, more strategic planning, and timely financing of road infrastructure.
GNA
