RECIPROCATE THIS GESTURE (JAN 13, 2010)

Investments in road infrastructure are key drivers of economic and national development, as well as employment creation.
This explains why governments, since independence, have invested heavily in roads in order to facilitate accessibility to all parts of the country.
A good and dependable road infrastructure allows businesses to receive inputs at production facilities on time and transport finished goods to the markets in an efficient manner.
It is against this background that the Daily Graphic is enthused about the decision of the government to release GH¢160 million to clear the arrears owed to contractors from last year.
The release of the funds to the contractors will surely boost the economy, as the payment will stimulate economic activities and enhance the quality of life of the people.
In the words of the Finance Minster, “the swift payment has become necessary because of the importance the government attaches to infrastructure development, as captured in the 2010 budget statement”.
Over the last two decades, Ghanaians have been living witnesses to improvement in road infrastructure in the major cities and towns and other roads that lead to food producing areas.
In Accra, one can attest to the enhancement of the road from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to Achimota, the Mallam-Yamoransa highway, the ongoing works from Achimota to Ofankor, the Tetteh Quarshie-Mallam highway, the Tetteh Quarshie-Adenta-Pantang-Mamfe road, among other networks.
The government has initiated many more road projects or awarded existing roads on contract for spot improvement in order to open up the countryside for business.
The state of the road network requires that the government invests millions of Ghana cedis into its rehabilitation to get the roads in conditions that will facilitate economic rejuvenation.
The job at hand to reshape the road network and even construct new ones, especially in emerging communities in the cities and towns, is a Herculean one which requires more innovative ways to accomplish.
Besides funding for the projects from the Consolidated Fund, our development partners and the Road Fund, the country needs more resources to achieve first-class or all-weather roads.
The Daily Graphic thinks our reliance on donor support will not help us to achieve the levels of road construction to facilitate economic development and growth.
We know that some of our people complain of the heavy tax burden on them and it will be suicidal for the government to impose more taxes on the people.
Nonetheless, the government can find ways of imposing levies where payments are not fully felt by the generality of the people to support the road sector.
The government should consider building toll booths on all major and first-class roads to raise more money for their rehabilitation, while existing tolls can be adjusted upwards.
The payment by the government has come as a result of the prudent management of the economy and sacrifices by the people and the only way to reciprocate this gesture is for the contractors to execute the works well.
The spectacle of shoddy works executed by contractors abounds in our communities and, unfortunately, these works are executed by local contractors.
But we need to empower our people to lead the process for economic development and the construction sector is one key area that requires government support to achieve that objective.
The situation makes it difficult for the Daily Graphic to advocate that more contracts be awarded to our local contractors.
We plead with them to give the taxpayer value for money by executing quality works.
Also, our technocrats must live up to their professional calling by showing their engineering competence through good road designs and supervising the contractors to work strictly to specifications.