Honour President Mahama’s payment pledge – Construction Chamber appeals to government
The Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GhCCI) has appealed to the government to urgently release funds to settle outstanding Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) owed contractors and other players in the sector, in line with a promise made by President John Dramani Mahama earlier this year.
In a letter dated September 29, 2025, addressed to the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, and copied to the Vice President, Chief of Staff, Minister of Finance, Speaker of Parliament, and Chairman of the Council of State, the Chamber warned that prolonged delays in the payment of IPCs were inflicting severe financial distress on contractors, consultants, and suppliers across the country.
According to the Chamber, many firms were struggling to meet payroll and operational costs, while others faced mounting arrears and threats of legal action from statutory bodies such as the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) over unpaid deductions and taxes.
“The prolonged delay in effecting payments is inflicting severe financial hardship across the construction ecosystem. Contractors are unable to meet payroll and operational costs;
Consultants and Suppliers face mounting arrears; and the sector is increasingly burdened with legal threats and enforcement actions from statutory institutions over unpaid deductions and taxes,” the Chamber lamented
The GhCCI emphasised that these challenges were gradually eroding confidence in government’s payment credibility and threatening the continuity of critical national infrastructure projects, including roads, bridges, and drainage works.
The statement further expressed concern that the delays were undermining the government’s much-touted “Big Push Agenda”, which had been highlighted in the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy as the main vehicle for the country’s infrastructural transformation.
“We particularly recognise the innovative prompt payment package attached to the Agenda, intended to eliminate interest liabilities from delayed payments and improve liquidity within the construction value chain,” it said stressing that without the immediate release of outstanding payments, the very foundation of this policy was at risk.
To address the situation, the Chamber has urged government to, among others, immediately release all outstanding payments in fulfilment of President Mahama’s assurance that the arrears would be cleared by the end of July 2025.
It also called for a transparent and time-bound schedule for the release of future payments, as well as a monitoring mechanism involving the GhCCI and relevant stakeholders to ensure accountability and predictability in the payment process.
The Chamber stressed that prompt action by government would not only help safeguard thousands of jobs and sustain ongoing projects but also restore the trust and collaboration between the public and private sectors driving Ghana’s infrastructure growth.
“the Chamber strongly believes that prompt action in this regard will safeguard thousands of jobs, sustain ongoing infrastructure works, and uphold the trust between Government and private sector actors driving the nation's development agenda,” the statement said.
