House Debates Synohydro Deal

By Julius Yao Petetsi

Kwabena Owusu-Aduomi,Deputy Roads and Highways Minister..

THE Minority has questioned what they said was the "over bloated" cost components of the Synohydro deal.

In the view of the Minority, the cost for components like the project office, photographs, client services amongst others were "outrageous."

At the passage of the Commercial Agreement resolution for the US$646,637,879 facility in Parliament yesterday, the Minority said the cost of the components were a "rip off."

Parliament last Wednesday passed a resolution for the release of the first tranche of US$646,637,879 of the expected US$2 billion facility from Sinohydro Corporation Limited for the rehabilitation and construction of some roads in the country.

The projects expected under the facility include Accra and Kumasi Inner City Roads, Tamale Interchange, Takoradi PTC Roundabout Interchange and the Adenta-Dodowa dual Carriageway.

The rest are Sunyani and Cape Coast inner city roads, upgrading of selected roads in Ashanti and Western regions, rehabilitation of Oda-Ofoase-Abirem road and Hohoe-Jasikan-DodiPepesu road.

Some of the components the Minority wanted reduced include a US$7000,000 client service on the Ofoase project which include over US$600,000 for the preparation of the project site.

Leading the Minority onslaught on the government yesterday, the Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee, Governs Kwame Agbodza alleged that as much as US$30,000 has been earmarked for progress photographs of the project.

According to Mr Agbodza, MP, Adaklu, the memoranda stating out the terms and conditions of the facility had no legal opinion of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice; neither did it have a financial impact assessment from the Finance Minister as required by law.

The projects stated under the facility, Agbodza had no value for money audit and were without Public Procurement Authority approval.

Stating that the Minority were not against the facelift of Ghana's roads, he said they were duty-bound to ensure that the best deal was secured for the country.

But in defence of government, a Deputy Roads and Highways Minister, Kwabena Owusu-Aduomi said the cost was justified.

In relation to the US$600,000 project site expenditure, he said it included securing a land to host the project offices, "and Mr Speaker, as you know the acquisition of land is expensive."

Mr Owusu-Aduomi, MP, Ejisu said the site project include a laboratory to test the soil and other construction materials to ensure the right materials that matched the texture of the soil.

On the transfer of technology component which the Minority said was needless because Ghanaians had the expertise, Mr Owusu-Aduomi said the asphalt technology to be deployed by the Synohydro group "is not any kind of asphalt."

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