The Ministry of Roads and Highways has introduced new reforms aimed at eliminating substandard bitumen from Ghana’s road construction sector.
Addressing industry stakeholders, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza, emphasized government’s commitment to ensuring that only high-quality bitumen is used in the country’s road projects, particularly under the ‘Big Push’ initiative.
“Government is committed to ensuring that only high-quality bitumen is used in the country’s road sector, particularly for the ‘Big Push’ projects,” he said. “We are determined to establish a clear policy direction and a robust regulatory framework that guarantees durable and cost-effective road infrastructure.”
He reiterated that “the Government remains resolute in its commitment to delivering road infrastructure that offers true value for money for the people of Ghana.”
The reforms are designed to strengthen regulations, introduce a licensing regime, update technical specifications, and ensure full traceability of bitumen from source to construction site.
To drive the process, the Minister has established a technical working committee tasked with enforcing bitumen quality standards across the country’s road construction industry. The committee will also develop evidence-based policy recommendations to improve regulation, accreditation, and overall bitumen management.
Mr. Agbodza explained that the overarching goal of the initiative is to guarantee the use of quality bitumen nationwide, promote a sustainable and cost-effective supply chain, improve transparency in procurement processes, and align Ghana’s standards with global best practices.
Stakeholders at the meeting welcomed the intervention and raised key operational concerns, including the absence of effective regulation of imports, the negative effects of black-market activities, and persistent inconsistencies in product standards among suppliers.
