The government will need an additional $50 million to complete the Jubilee House, a Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said.

The amount will bring the total cost of the project to $135 million. Already, the state has spent $82 million, comprising a $30 million grant received from the Indian Government and $52 million from the state.

The money spent so far, however, excludes a 10 per cent fee paid to consultants on the project.

Mr Ablakwa and officials from the Architectural Engineering Services Limited (AESL), as well as the main contractors on the project, conducted newsmen round the palace in Accra yesterday.

Briefing newsmen, Mr Ablakwa said details of the expenditure made so far and what was expected to complete the project were contained in a report received by the government from the AESL.

The Deputy Information Minister explained that out of the $50 million additional funds required for the completion of the project, $35 million would be spent on offices and accommodation for the presidential guard, which was not factored into the original design of the project.

He said according to the experts, the security offices and accommodation for the presidential guard should have been completed first before the construction of the palace.

He explained that such an arrangement was important so that the security would begin work from the construction stage to the time the President occupied the building.

Mr Ablakwa further explained that the remaining $15 million comprised $6.5 million for outstanding payments for work done by the contractors and $8.5 million for additional works to be done.

Some of the works to be completed are landscaping in front of the presidential villa, the banquet garden, the general services offices to accommodate a clinic, a post office, a fire service station, a canteen, a bank and some rest rooms.

The additional works, he said, would affect some buildings belonging to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), such as offices, the club house, transport and mechanic sections, a short wave transmitter and a carpentry shop.  Negotiations, he said, were under way with the management of GBC in that regard.

To secure the President in his villa, Mr Ablakwa said it would mean clearing all the trees and also putting the landscaping in shape to ensure that any intruder could be easily spotted.

According to Mr Ablakwa, it had never been the policy of the Mills administration to abandon any project initiated by the previous administration, explaining that what it had always sought to do was to ensure that the taxpayer got value for money in all circumstances.

He therefore debunked claims that the government had refused to occupy the Jubilee House and said it had not been able to relocate to the palace because work on it had not been completed.

He gave the assurance that as soon as some of the current works were completed, some of the departments under the Presidency would be relocated to the palace.

Tags: ghana news, jubilee, more money