The Association of Conscientious Public Sector Contractors has given government a two-week ultimatum starting from July 5, to pay all money owed them failure of which they will demonstrate.
The Association warned at a press conference addressed by its Chairman, Bernard Azumah, that if government fails to heed to their demand within the two weeks, they will hit the streets with a massive demonstration.
The Association also says if government does not take clear-cut steps to ensure that the money is paid to them, they will advise their lawyers to proceed to court to seek redress.
Mr Azumah also hinted that members are thinking of locking up various project sites across the country.
The Association accused the government of deliberately failing to pay for contracts completed since 2016 under the erstwhile administration.
According to them, contracts awarded in 2017 and 2018 are being paid for promptly when they are completed, unlike other projects awarded before then.
Mr Azumah said not even a single day passes without a member of the Association visiting the GETFund Secretariat to check on the status of their pending certificates, but the constant response they receive from the Secretariat is “there is no money”.
He said the situation is taking a devastating toll on their members especially those who have taken loans and other facilities from the banks and suppliers to execute their contracts.
The Chair of the Association said they find it difficult to believe that President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who has been touted as the foremost Human Right Activist in Ghana, will condone what they believe is a clear injustice.
The Association blames the GETFund Secretariat for what it says is preferential treatment of some contractors.
“We are businessmen and women, not politicians, therefore, the apparent stratification of the nation along party lines is inhumane and un-Ghanaian and at variance with President Akufo-Addo’s mantra of being president for all Ghanaian,“ he lamented
They have, however, reminded the president of his campaign promise to pay all contractors within 100 days if he is elected as President and therefore urged him to use his good office to facilitate the payment of their long overdue certificates.