Road contractors who worked on various cocoa roads in the country say the government has begun paying them their outstanding arrears.
They tell Citi Business News they have been assured of a 40 percent payment by the end of January.
The contractors earlier gave government up to January 1, 2020, to pay all arrears or face their wrath after accusing government of failing to honour its promises to them.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry, Cherry Emmanuel, tells Citi Business News he is hopeful all the arrears will be settled this time round.
“The 40 percent government promised to pay all cocoa road contractors is ongoing as we currently speak and we are hoping that before the close of this particular month (January), all that government has promised will be paid.”
The contractors have, on a number of occasions, threatened to embark on demonstrations but had to rescind their decision after the government’s promises to pay them.
The government has, however, been settling arrears of the contractors in installment.
In January 2019, 605 of them were settled, and the government gave the rest assurances that they would be paid.
In 2018, one company, Stania Company and Investment Limited, who constructed the Apedwa New Town M/A Kindergarten and Primary school in the East Akyem Abuakwa Municipality of the Eastern Region, threatened to lock up the school because of government’s indebtedness.