The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has announced that the Ministry will initiate legal proceedings to recover approximately US$30 million from an Indian construction firm, JMC, over an alleged failure to commence work after receiving mobilisation payment for a road project.
According to the Minister, the company assured the Ministry of its technical and financial capacity to execute the contract and successfully secured the award after appealing for consideration.
“There is one unfortunate situation, where we paid JMC at the time when Parliament approved, I think US$158.6 million, and that project should have been completed last year. Almost US$30 million mobilisation, they took the money and didn’t even do one per cent of the work,” he revealed.
Mr Agbodza said that despite the significant payment made to the contractor, no meaningful physical work has been undertaken at the project site, prompting government action to recover the funds.
Although he did not disclose the specific project involved, he stressed that the Ministry would not tolerate contractual breaches that undermine the delivery of critical infrastructure.
He added that legal steps are being taken in collaboration with the Attorney General to retrieve the public funds.
“We intend next week to work with the Attorney General to further pursue getting our money back within the law,” he noted.
JMC, an Indian construction company operating across multiple countries, has in recent decades been involved in a range of infrastructure projects including highways, bridges, flyovers, hospitals, industrial facilities, power plants, and urban developments.
The company says it has contributed to improving connectivity and urban development in several jurisdictions, while expanding its international operations. It also highlights its commitment to efficiency, timely delivery, cost management, sustainability, safety, and regulatory compliance in its construction activities.
Source: Adomonline
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