Ghana’s road construction industry is teetering on the brink, with the Ghana Progressive Road Contractors Association (GPRCA) issuing a desperate plea to the government to settle long-standing debts that have left many contractors financially ruined — and, tragically, some dead.
Speaking in a heart-wrenching interview on Accra-based Adom FM, the Association’s Vice President, Mr. Hammond Larbi, revealed that delayed payments for completed projects — some dating as far back as 2017 — have plunged members into unrelenting financial distress.
“We have lost several members. They died not from illness, but from the unbearable pressure of debt, disappointment, and neglect,” Mr. Larbi said, painting a grim picture of the human cost behind stalled payments.
According to him, the delays have triggered a chain reaction: contractors are being hounded by banks for unpaid loans, properties are at risk of repossession, and families are being torn apart by financial ruin.
The situation, he claimed, is worsened by a lack of transparency in how funds are disbursed. Mr. Larbi accused the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of engaging in selective payments, prioritising a few contractors while sidelining many others — especially those involved in maintenance work.
“You’d hear that money has been released, only to find out that it’s the same few names being paid again. Others, despite submitting valid certificates, are left stranded, some for years,” he alleged.
Adding to the frustration, Larbi noted that many contractors’ claims have been left unattended in regional ministerial offices, leading to growing resentment and a collapse in morale across the sector.
His comments come amid fresh disclosures from Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza, who admitted during the Government Accountability Series that the state owes over GH₵27 billion to road contractors — GH₵7 billion under the Road Fund and GH₵20 billion from the central government’s budget.
While the government has acknowledged the backlog, Mr. Larbi insists that talk is no longer enough.
“We need more than promises — we need action,” he said. “This isn’t just about money; it’s about the survival of our industry, our families, and the future of local construction in Ghana.”
With no clear repayment plan in sight, the road contractors’ appeal serves as a warning of the broader implications of delayed public sector financing — threatening infrastructure development, local business sustainability, and lives.
