Ghana's works and housing minister to blacklist contractors who abandon projects

Contractors who abandon government projects or leave construction sites idle without credible justification will be blacklisted and barred from bidding for future contracts, Ghana's Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Ahmed Ibrahim, has warned.

Ibrahim said the ministry was determined to end the practice of contractors securing public contracts and then abandoning projects, which has resulted in delays, cost overruns and uncompleted infrastructure across the country. He said the ministry would inspect major projects nationwide and terminate, repackage and re-award contracts where contractors could not provide satisfactory explanations for delays.

"If we come and you are not on site, we will blacklist you. Once you are blacklisted, you will not qualify to bid for contracts in any of our agencies and departments again," he said, speaking in Accra at the close of a three-day strategic retreat organised by the ministry.

He directed agencies under the ministry to develop a consolidated action plan with measurable targets and regular progress reports, and said a comprehensive status report would be compiled on all ongoing, completed, stalled and delayed projects to identify constraints affecting their delivery.

On housing, Ibrahim called for sustainable financing mechanisms and procurement reforms to reduce project abandonment, noting that Ghana's estimated housing deficit of about 1.8 million units required urgent and innovative financing. He cited Kenya's housing levy as a financing model that could be studied and adapted for Ghana.

Chief Director Irene Odokai Messiba told the retreat the ministry was pursuing completion of the Saglemi, Pokuase-Afiaman and Community 26 housing projects as part of efforts to expand the country's housing stock.