CONTRACTS AWARDED IN ATIWA DISTRICT NOT COMPLETED — DCE (PAGE 17)

MOST of the contracts awarded in 2006 and 2007 for the construction of social amenities such as classroom blocks, places of convenience and boreholes in the Atiwa District in the Eastern Region have not been completed.
The projects were being funded by the GETfund, District Assemblies Common Fund, HIPC initiative/District Assemblies Common Fund and the Social Investment Fund.
Construction work on most of the projects which were expected to be completed within seven months and handed over to the communities was between 20 per cent and 66 per cent complete.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel Atta Twum, made this known in his maiden address to the assembly over the weekend.
He said apart from two projects, an office for the health insurance scheme at Anyinam, the commercial centre of the district, and a 14-seater water closet at Dongobe, which had been completed, the rest, 26 in all, are at various stages of completion, ranging from 20 per cent to 66 per cent.
The DCE told the assembly that the failure of the contractors to complete the projects had raised questions on contract management in the assembly and that management was investigating the causes of the delay to ensure that the jobs would be completed as soon as possible.
Aside that, he said the Regional Programme Steering Committee had approved a number of projects for the district to be implemented under the Local Service Delivery and Governance Programme.
These, he said included the drilling of 15 boreholes at Tiawia-Subrisu, Abresu-Atifi, Osoroase-Sawer,  Ahankrasu, Asunafo, Osorase-Adjikpo, Anyinam Slaughter House, Awenare, Anyinam-Train Station, Anyinam-Zongo, Tiawia, Tumfa and Akrofufu.
With regard to roads, he indicated that two kilometers of the Kwabeng roads and the Kwabeng-Nkurakan Road would be rehabilitated.
He further told the assembly members that the assembly had taken steps to tackle health problems such as HIV and AIDS, sanitation, disasters and security in the area.
Mr Atta Twum who said the assembly had to raise more internally-generated revenue for the funding of some projects, expressed regret that only GH¢59,103.29 out of the estimated GH¢170,164.00 revenue for 2009 had been mobilised and stated that measures had been taken to address the problem.