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Cameroon: Minister Concerned Over Delays in Construction of Ayos-Bonis Road
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The Post (Buea)
4 July 2008
Posted to the web 4 July 2008
Robert Tumasang
Bertoua
The Minister of Public Works, Bernard Messengue Avom, has expressed concern over delays recorded so far in the construction of the Ayos -Bonis highway.
Avom was speaking in Bertoua Monday, June 30, after a meeting with stakeholders in the construction of the road. "I think the project is not moving on satisfactorily. I would have loved it to move faster, but because of certain constraints, the company cannot do better," the Minister said.
The constraints, according to the Greek contractors, include difficulties in transporting material and equipment to the job site, the scarcity of cement, unfavourable swings in weather, the tardy nature of the population in liberating the roadsides, the presence of electric pools, telephone lines, water taps and graves along the road.
They said the road can only move fast if owners of all these property collaborate by destroying them.Minister Avom admitted that the original studies carried out on the road were poorly done, a situation that has led to "additional work to what was originally programmed."
"The consequence is that not only has the additional work led to additional costs, but the originally agreed deadlines can no more be met," he remarked.Phase one, for instance, that runs from Ayos to Abong-Mbang that was originally programmed for 25 months has witnessed a time frame of an additional 10.5months, and an increment of about FCFA 5 billions, thus taking the cost up from FCFA 23 billion to FCFA 28 billion.
It is, however, expected that this first phase will be completed by December 2008, given that 88 per cent of it has been executed.The second phase that runs from Abong- Mbang to Bonis, and covers 103 km, has been constructed by 28 per cent according to the authorities of the Greek company, PANTECKNIKI, that are constructing the road. They say the phase will be completed by April 2009.
The 201km Ayos-Bonis road holds the key to Cameroon's economic growth, according to the Minister of Public Works. Not only will farmers market their produce with ease, but the road will also foster sub-regional integration by linking Cameroon to neighbouring countries notably the Central African Republic and Chad.
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It will also open remote East Cameroon to investors and promote tourism in a region rich in wildlife and enormous forest resources.
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