Roads Minister chases Indian contractor for $30m refund after delivering 1% of work since 2022

Kwame Agbodza, the Minister for Roads and Highways, is seeking a refund. He wants $30 million for the Tamale-Walewale Road project. Since 2022, only 1% of the work has been completed.

Agbodza stated that $29.6 million was paid to JMC, now Kalpatura Projects. However, they have not delivered on their contract. On June 5, he spoke in Parliament about this issue.

The project was supposed to start in June 2022 and finish by December 2025. In March 2024, the contractor issued a notice to terminate the contract.

Agbodza explained that the total cost of the project is $158 million. The contractor claimed nearly $30 million but has only made 1% progress on site. They haven't even finished clearing the area.

Additionally, the contractor wants another $14 million for no work done. Agbodza expressed frustration over paying contractors while owing Ghanaian contractors over GHC21 billion.

He emphasized that they will use legal means to recover their money or ensure work is completed.