The Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry has welcomed the announcement by the government of the constitution of the Road Fund Board.

The chamber has been at the forefront of calls on the government to constitute the board so its members who are in some cases owed since 2017 can be paid for projects executed.

Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Emmanuel Cherry, welcomed the news.

He stated that “it is something that we have craved for long, however, it is better late than never, so there is no need to cry over spilt milk. As we speak, all we need to do is to put our hands together and try as much as possible to receive the board that would be inaugurated and put in place.”

He also urged the board to work in earnest to ensure contractors are paid in the shortest possible time.

“I pity them a little because they have so much pressure that they need to speed up with so, it is welcoming news, and we thank the president for hearing our cry. We admonish the board that whenever it is being put together or inaugurated, they should try as much as possible to speed up the policies of the president and the ministry at large to make sure that we will be able to achieve the target that has been set before the ministry”.

A few months ago, some contractors besieged the premises of the Ministry of Roads and Highways to demand payment.

The contractors had earlier threatened legal action and to close down completed project areas until the government pays them their monies.

The Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry has consistently called on the government to immediately constitute the Road Fund Board.

Without the board, in place, the contractors cannot be paid for jobs done.

The 14-member board was constituted on Thursday and Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who is the Member of the Parliament for the Effutu constituency, is the chairman.

While swearing in the board, Sector Minister Kwesi Amoako Atta urged the board to be innovative in raising funds and should work to live up to its mandate.