Contractor urges government to pay three certificates to finish Afram Plains irrigation scheme

Pinned summary · as of 19:02

The contractor building the Ekyeamamfrom Pivot Irrigation scheme in the Afram Plains has asked the government to settle three payment certificates still owed so the work can be finished. Reports say the contractor's project manager, Anthony Abubakar, spoke as a parliamentary committee toured the site on 1 October.

What we know

• The contractor on the Ekyeamamfrom Pivot Irrigation scheme has called on the government to pay three certificates still owed, so that the project can be finished, according to JoyNews on YouTube and Chale News.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  MyJoyOnline and Chale News reported that Parliament's Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs toured the project on 1 October to review progress and find out what is holding it back; Chale News credited MyJoyOnline for this detail.
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  Project manager Anthony Abubakar said the scheme is about 90 per cent complete, and that delays in releasing funds have held up the remaining works. This was reported by MyJoyOnline and Chale News.
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  Mr Abubakar said some of the certificates were submitted as far back as October last year and remain unpaid, and that funding is the main obstacle because little physical work is left. He told MyJoyOnline that the project could be handed over before the year ends if the money is released.
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  Mr Abubakar said the scheme is designed to irrigate roughly 350 acres of potatoes, tomatoes and other crops, and that the intended farmers are present on the land and ready to begin producing. MyJoyOnline also carried a separate line describing the scheme as covering 350 hectares, which differs from the acreage he gave.
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  Chale News reported that no date has been given for settling the certificates and that the government has not confirmed a payment or handover timeline.

Why it matters for Ghana

Irrigation schemes allow farmers to grow crops outside the rainy season, so delays in finishing one can hold back harvests and incomes for the farming community that expects to use it. Payment disputes between contractors and government can also slow other public projects.