The Minister of Works and Housing, Ahmed Ibrahim, has urged players in the construction sector to position themselves to take advantage of the government’s infrastructure drive by increasing their capacity and competitiveness.

He said, “As Ghana expands its infrastructure, we must ensure that the industry expands. Ghana is entering an important phase of infrastructure development, and this will increase opportunities for local contractors and engineers.”

He, however, urged local contractors to ensure that key decision-makers in government are satisfied with their output, thus positioning themselves as the first option for the awarding of new contracts.

“We must not only build infrastructure, but also improve the capacity of local firms. We want a construction industry that is capable of competing locally and internationally.”

Speaking at a consultative forum on sustainable infrastructure financing organised by the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GhCCI) in Accra, Mr Ibrahim encouraged local firms to “form partnerships that will enable government to recognise you.”

He criticised contractors who receive government contracts but refuse to sublet portions of those contracts to smaller contractors to help them improve their capacity, instead holding on to the work while struggling to complete it.

Ghanaian contractors, he said, should not be seen merely as a source of labour but as firms capable of delivering when given the opportunity.

The Chief Executive of the Chamber (CEO), Emmanuel Cherry, encouraged firms to rely on one another and embrace the practice of pre-financing subcontracts so that subcontractors could work effectively, instead of the current practice of waiting for government to pay them before paying their subcontractors.

He lamented the inability of Ghanaian firms to take full advantage of the government’s Big Push agenda.

He noted that while the government had set aside funds for the different phases of the Big Push, local construction firms had not been able to utilise all the money in the coffers for two successive years.

He, therefore, advised local firms to enhance the speed of their delivery by engaging subcontractors, providing them with the right tools and resources, and working round the clock to meet the government’s construction deadlines.

He said, “If we really want to make record time, then the 24 working hours must come into play within the construction cycle. As we speak, we have not even exhausted half of the GH¢40 billion budget allocated for the Big Push for last year and this year.”

He expressed worry that this development could lead to a reduction in the budget allocation for the Big Push Programme in 2027.

He cautioned contractors employed under the Big Push that if they “loaf around” with the projects given to them under the programme, thereby causing disaffection for the local industry, “we ourselves will go after that contractor.”