Okoe-Boye blames local contractors for delay in completion of Agenda 111 projects
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The Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, has attributed the slow pace of the completion of the Agenda 111 projects to the lack of capacity among some local contractors. This explanation was provided when he appeared before the Assurance Committee of Parliament to account for various assurances, promises, and commitments made on the floor of Parliament.
Dr. Okoe-Boye explained that the government prioritized local content by engaging local contractors for the Agenda 111 project, which is a crucial initiative of the current administration. However, he noted that several local contractors have struggled to meet the project's timelines, necessitating changes in some contractors. This has been a significant factor in the delays experienced.
"The decision has been made to change some local contractors on the project largely because they cannot execute the project within timelines. This has accounted for the change in timelines for the completion of the project," the Health Minister stated.
Additionally, the project, initially scheduled for completion in 18 months, has faced multiple challenges, including:
- Unwillingness of some chiefs to release lands.
- Land litigation issues.
- Low capacity of local contractors.
- Difficulty in acquiring lands in some urban areas.
Dr. Okoe-Boye also highlighted that project design variations have been necessary due to the difficulties in land acquisition in urban areas. He emphasized that the President insisted on awarding the project to local contractors to ensure local content, as historically, health sector projects have often been awarded to foreign contractors. "There are some Agenda 111 projects where the contractors have to be changed for lack of performance," he added.
The Chairman of the Assurance Committee and MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, questioned why the government did not anticipate these challenges before the President promised the project's completion by April 2021. In response, Dr. Okoe-Boye assured the committee that 28 of the projects would be completed by the end of 2024.
“We did an assessment of all districts in Ghana and took a look at the capacity of district hospitals to take care of these basic things every primary health facility should be able to do. Assuming someone cannot breathe and needs a ventilator, do they have a facility that can provide a ventilator?” he explained.
Dr. Okoe-Boye emphasized that the underlying objective of the Agenda 111 projects is to ensure that anywhere in Ghana, people do not need to travel to a city center for essential health services. He affirmed that the majority of the projects would be completed before the President hands over to the next government.