Parliamentary Select Committee visits, NCA and Westel
Accra (Greater Accra) 23 May 2003 - The long serving two log bridges over rivers Fawohoyeden and Bonkokoo in the Brong Ahafo Region are to be replaced while the Fawohoyeden - Akrodie road is to be rehabilitated.
Contract for the replacement of the second log bridge that would involve the construction of a single reinforced box culvert has been awarded and work is scheduled for completion by the end of September. This was announced by Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Roads and Transport in Parliament on Thursday, in an answer to a question asked by Kwakye Addo, NDC- Afram Plains South, as to when the Ministry would replace the dilapidated wooden bridges over the two rivers.
Dr Anane said the other log bridge was replaced in April 2003 with a triple reinforced concrete box culvert. The Minister said Government recognised the socio-economic significance of the Fawohoyeden-Akrodie road located in the Asunafo District of the Brong Ahafo Region that served predominantly cocoa farmers, and would, therefore, not shirk its responsibilities.
In an another question asked on behalf of Enoch T. Mensah, NDC- Ningo Prampram, as to when the Ningo bridge would be completed, Dr Anane explained that the contract for the construction of the bridge that was 70 per cent complete was awarded to Messrs Frandesco (WA) Limited on October 1994 at a cost of 13 billion cedis to be completed by 1996.
Dr Anane said the contractor was not able to meet the target and was granted various extensions of time with the latest granted up to 31 December 2000.
He said despite the payment of over ¢4bn to the contractor in 2000, no significant extra work was done. The Minister said the contractor in a letter dated 15 January 2000, informed the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) of his inability to resume work due to the indebtedness of the client.
However, the GHA in a letter dated 24 January 2002 instructed the contractor to open the site for work to resume since the amount of indebtedness did not merit the continued closure of the site, but said the site still remained closed.
Dr Anane said following the advice from the GHA, the Ministry directed the re-packaging of the outstanding works for possible re-award. The necessary contractual processes had been initiated towards this as 'we await advice from the Attorney General's Department, the Minister added.
He said the company was currently under investigation by other arms of the government.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 May 2003 - The National Communication Authority (NCA) was on Thursday asked to get its stakeholders particularly those in the telecommunication sector to open emergency lines for subscribers even if their subscription had expired.
The request came from the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communication that paid a working visit to the NCA and Westel Headquarters in Accra, to assess at first hand some of the problems facing the NCA and Westel.
The Committee led by its Chairman Akwesi Afrifa, Member of Parliament for Fomena, was of the view that if emergency lines for the Police, Ghana National Fire Service and other disaster responsive areas were opened to customers all year round irrespective of one's credit with the service operator, it would go a long way in minimising the effects of disaster if they occurred.
Kofi Attoh, MP for Ho Central, urged the NCA to be firm, fair and transparent in its dealings with its stakeholders to minimise the various suspicions, antagonism and mistrust that was currently prevailing in the sector.
Bernard A. Forson Jr. Deputy Director-General, NCA said the main problem facing the Authority was that of understaffing. He said the Authority's had staff strength of 33, who were expected to cover every part of the country where issues of communication were concerned.
"We need to be ahead of the people we regulate and if we really have to do a good job, then there is the need for our capacity to be enhanced," he said. He expressed regret that Westel had failed the nation as far as the billing system was concerned by not being able to compete with the Ghana Telecom.
"The goodwill that was extended to Westel had not received the commensurate services that Ghanaians expected and that was where the Authority had a problem with Westel."
Forson said Westel should have by now developed its own network without having to rely on GT to operate in the country. He urged the MPs to enact a legislation that would strengthen the NCA to enable it to mediate, solve, withdraw, revoke or withhold licences without going to court.
Afrifa said it was for this reason that the NCA and its stakeholders would be meeting next weekend to iron out grievances among them. At Westel, the meeting with the Management was held behind closed doors. Some of the matters discussed included how Westel could expand to engender competition in the industry.
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