The Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has raised strong concerns over the government’s continued delay in constituting the Road Fund Board, a situation he says is crippling contractors and undermining private sector investment.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Afenyo-Markin stated that anyone who reads the 2026 Budget would be left wondering why a government with the full opportunity to establish critical governance structures has failed to set up the Road Fund Board.
He questioned why the government, despite having amended the law to allow for the board’s formation, has still not taken action after ten months.
According to him, contractors who took loans from banks to execute government projects are suffering because they have not been paid. He described the situation as unacceptable, asking whether it is “a sin to invest in the private sector,” when Ghanaian businesses and their workers are bearing the consequences of the government’s inaction.
He further argued that the governing party, which prides itself on having competent men and women, has no excuse for failing to constitute a simple board when there are many qualified individuals available.
He questioned whether the NDC government had already failed the people of Ghana even before the full implementation of its budget policies.
Afenyo-Markin also demanded clarity on the whereabouts and use of funds allocated to the Road Fund, since government officials insist that the absence of the board is the reason contractors have not been paid. He noted that the fund has an administrator, a secretariat, and had been earmarked for reforms to prevent double payments, yet none of these commitments have been fulfilled.
He criticized what he described as government “funfair” and rhetorical slogans, emphasizing that Ghanaians expect President Mahama to deliver, not merely offer political performances. He urged the government to immediately constitute the Road Fund Board and pay contractors who are owed.
The Minority Leader cautioned that Parliament’s Majority caucus should not expect business as usual. He stressed that budget estimates will not be approved without proper scrutiny, as figures and data presented in the government’s own budget documents cannot be manipulated or ignored.
He concluded that the Minority has made its position clear, and it is now the responsibility of the Majority to do what is necessary. Whether the government chooses to act or leave the records as they are will be judged by the people of Ghana.
