According to the Chief Executive Officer of the GhCCI, Emmanuel Cherry, the debt has been compounded by interest on delayed payment and described the GH¢1.8 billion as alarming for the industry.
He described the effects of the non-payment of executed works on members and industry as "worse than gruesome murder."
He told the Daily Graphic that "all-important strategic leadership meeting" on Thursday that it is unfathomable how the government is conceiving 2021 as another 'Year of Roads' when the very entities to be engaged in realizing the dream is being yoked into oblivion with the failure to honour payments.
Earlier, the contractors threatened to sue the government over monies owed to them for contracts they have executed.
The contractors said the situation is taking a toll on the businesses of its member adding that the delay in payment causes them to incur more debts on the loans they acquired in executing the projects.
"That is what the chamber is coming to do now, because, we realized that if nothing is being done the government agencies will take advantage and be doing this and the purse of the government will be bleeding all the time," Emmanuel Cherry noted.