A probe ordered into the cost of a military cemetery under construction at the Burma Camp last week has resulted in the downward review by some $1.5 million.
The Minister of Defence, on his tour of the site last week, ordered an investigation into the cost of the project which was estimated at $6 million dollars, an amount the Minister described as outrageous.
Following the order, a review of the contract has seen the cost come down to $4.5 million, according to a Deputy Defence Minister, Major Rtd Derek Oduro. He also insisted that his Ministry will push for a further downward review of the cost, which included the wall, the car park and a room for caretakers.
“We thought it was on the high side so we called the contractor and the other stakeholders, who came and briefed us. Yesterday they met us at the Ministry of Defence and the amount has been cut to $4.5 million. The contractors have reviewed the cost of the project. Some other changes have been made and that made it go down, as we were told the other day.”
Major Oduro said his Ministry had value for money on its mind and “we think that construction of this small project should not cost so much.
On what brought the cost of the project down, he indicated the contractors said “that the walkway was to be done with asphalt, but it has been changed to concrete pavement and I saw no difference between the two.”