Chinese-based firm Beijing Everyway, is demanding $55 million from the Government of Ghana (GoG) for cancelling a contract awarded it to develop an intelligent traffic management system in the Accra Metropolitan Area.
Beijing Everyway is demanding the amount following the award of the same contract to Huawei Technology, another Chinese-based company by GoG.
The notice of arbitration by Beijing Everyway was served on government under the China-Ghana bilateral investment treaty on Wednesday, February 10, 2021.
Government of Ghana last year terminated the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management contract it had awarded Beijing Everyway only to re-award the contract to Huawei Technology.
In a media engagement on the issue, Chairman for the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament, Seth Acheampong, defended Government’s decision to re-award the contract noting that Government did not agree with some conditionalities in the contract with Beijing Everyway.
Beijing Everyway Traffic and Lighting Technology Company Limited, was previously contracted in 2018 to implement the Accra Metropolitan Area ICT-Enhanced Traffic Management Project.
The implementation agency for the project was the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
But on Friday, November 6, the Bill was re-laid before Parliament and passed on Saturday under a certificate of urgency.
But, this time with a contract agreement between the Government of Ghana, represented by the Ministry of National Security, Huawei Technologies Company Limited and the China National Import and Export Corporation.
Following the termination of the contract between them and Government, management of the Beijing Everyway Traffic and Lighting Technology Company Limited, threatened to file a lawsuit against Government in the London court of international arbitration.
As it has already submitted a $10 million Performance Security to the Ministry and shipped over 50 containers of goods to Ghana for the implementation of the $100 million worth project.
