By Michael Foli Jackidy
Ho (V/R), Dec. 6, GNA – Mr Ludwig Annang Hesse (F-GhIE), National President of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), has raised strong concerns about the increasing practice of Ghanaian contractors fronting for foreign companies, especially Chinese firms, in the execution of public projects.
Addressing the Second Annual General Meeting and Conference of GhIE Branch 6 of the Volta and Oti Regions in Ho, he said although contracts were often awarded in the names of Ghanaian firms to promote local content, much of the actual work were carried out by foreign companies.
He said some local contractors secured government contracts only to hand them over to foreign partners who then bring in their own labour force.
“You may see a Ghanaian name on the contract, but when you go to the site, the people working are Chinese,” he noted.
Mr Hesse added that even when Ghanaian engineers participated in such projects, they worked under foreign supervision, hindering their professional development.
He also observed that several companies winning major contracts lacked the required engineering staff.
He called for stricter enforcement of regulations to ensure contractors had qualified engineers on their teams before being awarded projects.
Togbe Adzie Lakle Howusu XII, Divisional Chief of Ho-Dome and Awafiaga of Asogli State, who chaired the meeting, shared similar concerns.
He said governments had continued to overlook local engineers by awarding major contracts to foreign firms, who then employed Ghanaian engineers as labourers.
He stressed that some foreign personnel hired for these projects were not even trained engineers but ended up learning on the job from Ghanaians.
He said although some Ghanaians were sponsored abroad to study engineering, many returned to find no job opportunities.
Togbe Howusu reaffirmed that Ghanaian engineers were capable of handling all construction works both locally and abroad and urged government to prioritize them in the award of contracts.
He encouraged engineers to strive for excellence to help change the narrative.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Linda Asante Agyei