The President of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), Ing. Ludwig Annang Hesse, has argued that Ghana would derive greater benefit if half of the GH¢1.7 billion earmarked for the proposed Accra–Kumasi Expressway were invested in completing ongoing road projects across the country.
Speaking in reaction to the government’s Mid-Year Budget Review, Ing. Hesse challenged assertions by the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, that work is progressing on ongoing road projects.
According to him, several major road projects have remained stalled since 2024 due to the lack of additional funding, despite many of them being between 60% and 90% complete.
“When we had ongoing projects on the existing road network, most of them involved dualisation works. Since 2024, no additional funding has been committed to those projects, even though they are between 60 and 90% complete,” he said.
He added that although the projects have not been terminated, contractors have largely demobilised because outstanding payments have not been made.
“There was no budget allocation for them in 2025 and there is none in 2026. Yet the government states that these projects are ongoing. In reality, they are at a standstill because contractors have not been paid and have therefore demobilised,” he stated.
Ing. Hesse also questioned the government’s approach to the planning and execution of major infrastructure projects, particularly the decision to undertake activities such as right-of-way clearance before completing environmental impact assessments, feasibility studies and detailed designs.
He argued that carrying out these processes simultaneously raises concerns about adherence to due process.
“One of the things the Minister said is that environmental impact assessments, feasibility studies, detailed designs and compensation assessments are all being undertaken in parallel, yet the right-of-way has already been cleared by about 70%. On what feasibility basis was the right-of-way cleared?” he queried.
The GhIE President further criticised procurement practices and aspects of road rehabilitation projects, stressing that while initiatives such as the Big Push programme are commendable, they must be implemented in accordance with established procedures and quality standards.
On financing, Ing. Hesse maintained that allocating half of the GH¢1.7 billion budgeted for the proposed Accra–Kumasi Expressway to existing road dualisation projects would have accelerated their completion and delivered more immediate benefits to the country.
“The government has set aside GH¢1.7 billion for the expressway. If half of that amount had been invested in the existing road network, we could by now have achieved substantial completion of the dualisation works on the current carriageway, which would have served the nation significantly,” he said.
He further called for comprehensive feasibility studies to determine whether fast-tracking the proposed expressway is the most appropriate course of action, cautioning that Ghana risks spending billions of cedis without achieving the desired improvements in mobility, road safety and economic growth if infrastructure projects are not implemented in a coordinated and transparent manner.