The Parliamentary Select Committee on Works & Housing wants the government to immediately settle its debts owed Dredge Masters to enable the company continue its good works for the country.
According to the Committee, the timely payment of the debt will assist the firm which is a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies stay in business.
Ranking Member of the Committee, Sampson Ahi, who addressed journalists after the Committee had inspected some operational sites of the company in Accra on Friday said “We all need to be paid when we work so we are appealing to the government to pay. This contract is binding on the government and if it must be continued then government needs to pay the contractors. The contract has different components, with regards to de-silting they are almost done, but the other non-dredging projects have not been done or completed because of lack of funding. I believe when they are paid it will be tackled.”
Dredge Masters, kasapafmonline.com understands, was contracted to dredge the Odaw drain which runs through some communities in Accra.
It is the first company to be contracted by the government to clear the drain following the June 3, 2015, floods.
The company was lauded by the Committee for its tremendous work despite not being paid since 2015.
Concerns of nonpayment of debt owed Dredge Masters was first raised by the Minister of Works & Housing, Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea when he addressed a gathering at a memorial church service for victims of the June 3 flood and fire disaster last Saturday.
The Minister was particularly, overwhelmed about the company’s commitment in desilting the Odaw drains despite the volumes of bills on his table that needed to be paid.
“I must say that but for the humane attitude of a company called Dredge Masters, an affiliate of Zoomlion, the situation could have been worse. Dredge masters was working day-in-day-out because of the human dimension to the company. You know companies are very commercial in their orientation. Without money, they won’t work. Sitting on my desk are various bills that we need to pay them. We have this disease that a contractor can be owed six years after completion of work and expect that the contractor will be impoverished and the rest of it. But a Ghanaian company called Dredge Masters… they have not been paid off but nevertheless, they are still working because some catastrophes are more serious than posting dividends and profits,” Hon. Atta Akyea.
