President of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GCCI), Emmanuel Cherry, has described the government’s planned release of GH¢1 billion to contractors as insufficient, warning that the amount will do little to ease the severe financial pressures facing the construction sector.
President John Dramani Mahama announced the payment directive on Sunday, December 21, 2025, during a sod-cutting ceremony for the Sunyani–Atronie–Acherensua Road Project in the Bono Region under the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme.
In an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Cherry welcomed the President’s intervention but said the directive lacked clarity, particularly regarding which category of outstanding debts the funds would be used to settle.
“We are grateful for the President’s intervention, but we do not understand the directive clearly. As we speak, COCOBOD alone owes contractors more than GH¢3 billion. The Road Fund, now known as the Road Management Trust Fund, stands at about GH¢8.2 billion, while arrears under the Consolidated Fund exceed GH¢40 billion,” he explained.
He stressed that without clear guidance on which debts the GH¢1 billion is meant to address, the release could create confusion and tension within the sector.
Mr. Cherry questioned the impact of the proposed amount, noting that it represents only a fraction of what road contractors alone are owed. “One billion cedis out of GH¢8.2 billion, what does that do? How many contractors will benefit, and what percentage of their claims will be paid?” he asked.
He warned that partial payments could trigger wider economic repercussions, as contractors support entire value chains including banks, manufacturers, and service providers. “Once people hear that contractors have been paid, expectations will rise. Yet this amount will not be enough to meet those expectations,” he said.
Describing the GH¢1 billion as “woefully inadequate” and “a drop in the ocean,” Mr. Cherry appealed to the government to increase the allocation to at least GH¢5 billion to provide meaningful relief to the struggling sector.
“We plead with the President to do the needful and save contractors. We have suffered for too long,” he added.
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