President John Dramani Mahama has noted that road contractors who, through unethical means, received double pay from the erstwhile government for road projects will be penalised.

Engaging the public, the president noted that an investigation was conducted by the Auditor-General and a report has been reported.

Road projects that were halted due to an audit by the Auditor General will resume, the president said.

“We have set some of the money aside that we will use for the Big Push. We will use the Big Push to fix and construct roads. I know a lot of the traditional authorities during the campaign always highlighted the bad roads in the country.”

“When we came into power, we saw the ongoing road projects and told the contractors to halt to enable us to audit the projects. Because we found out that some of the road projects are being taken care of by the Road Fund.“

“But you’d realize that that same certificate will be sent to the Ministry of Finance, and the ministry would also pay—double pay. We have told the Auditor General to audit all those road projects. The Auditor General is done with the work. A report has been presented. We will let all the contractors go to the site with the exception of those who received double pay. We will sanction them,” the president said.

Minister for Roads and Highways Kwame Governs Agbodza has revealed that the government owes road contractors GH¢21 billion

Government will settle GH¢4 billion out of the large debt owed to road contractors, the Roads Minister revealed on Tuesday, July 8, during a press conference where he provided updates on the many road projects in the country.

“On record, we are intending to pay some GH¢4 billion towards retiring part of the 21 billion from this month. I have no doubt that will be on record to be one of the biggest payments at a particular time to make sure that we are serious about clearing the debt, and then also making provision to start the new work we are talking about,” Kwame Governs Agbodza said.

President John Dramani Mahama, during a meeting with members of the Council of State at the Presidency on Monday, July 7, announced the government's decision to begin paying debts owed to road contractors within this month.

This, he said, would help revive road construction projects that have been abandoned. “The Ministry of Finance has made dedicated financial allocations to address a substantial portion of the outstanding debts. We expect this to bring much-needed relief to the contractors and help accelerate the delivery of critical infrastructure,” the President stated.

President Mahama emphasised his government's commitment to infrastructure development under his administration’s 24-hour economy agenda. On his part, prioritising road construction and the swift resumption of stalled road projects holds the key to promoting economic growth and productivity by ensuring adequate regional connectivity.

The announcement has been met with excitement and optimism by many stakeholders in the construction sector. The Ghana Institute of Engineers and the Association of Road Contractors have largely welcomed the president's announcement, but they have called for transparency.

They have called on the government to publish clear timelines and payment schedules to ensure that contractors can plan and mobilise resources effectively.

In March this year, Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Alhassan Suhuyini, acknowledged the significant financial burden facing the government to clear outstanding debts owed to contractors and suppliers.

His remarks followed the presentation of the 2025 budget by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who disclosed that the government’s total commitments to contractors stand at a staggering GH¢67.5 billion.

This amount comprises GH¢49.2 billion in unpaid Interim Payment Certificates and invoices from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as GH¢18.3 billion in outstanding Bank Transfer Advice at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.

Speaking to The Independent Ghana, Suhuyini admitted that while the government is committed to addressing some of these debts, it cannot clear the full amount immediately.

"They should have absolute confidence that we will settle some of the debts," he assured. "However, we obviously cannot clear everything at once. The total financial commitment stands at about GH¢100 billion, with unpaid certificates alone amounting to GH¢21 billion. The decision to uncap the Road Fund is a step in the right direction, but it will only make GH¢2 billion available—far from enough to cover even the unpaid certificates."

He emphasised the importance of prioritising road maintenance, a sector that has suffered due to poor upkeep. "The minister has stressed that a significant portion of these funds will be directed toward road maintenance. This is a smart move because our poor maintenance culture has resulted in roads deteriorating within 8 to 10 years instead of lasting longer," he explained.

Suhuyini noted that, in addition to paying off some existing road maintenance debts, the government is looking at a broader infrastructure push. "With GH¢10 to GH¢13 billion allocated under the ‘Big Push’ initiative, several new road projects will commence while some outstanding debts will also be retired," he added.

Meanwhile, Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza has issued a strong warning to contractors working on government road projects, stressing that only quality work will be tolerated under the current administration.

He made it clear that any contractor who fails to meet expected standards risks having their contract terminated.

“The government will not compromise on quality. Deliver the work or forfeit the contract,” Mr. Agbodza said,

He made the remarks during the 49th Annual Congress of the National Gonjaland Youth Association, held in Sawla, where he also unveiled a new policy direction aimed at correcting regional disparities in road infrastructure investments.

Mr. Agbodza criticized the historical concentration of road expenditure in Ghana’s southern regions, particularly the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, which he said have accounted for nearly 70% of national road funding.

“One of the things I consider as imbalance in infrastructure is this — it appears 70% of our expenditure on roads is spent in the South, especially between Greater Accra and Ashanti Region alone consume almost 70% of our road infrastructure,” he pointed out. “That is not equity in development. We shall actually rewrite that. We’ll reallocate resources to touch people in this part of the country."