Surveyors caution against treating compensation disputes as professional misconduct

The Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) has cautioned public authorities against automatically treating discrepancies between compensation claims and assessments by acquiring authorities as signs of fraud or professional misconduct. This position emerged from comments made by the Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, who suggested that the government was considering reporting two quantity surveyors to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for allegedly inflating compensation claims for properties affected by road projects.

Mr. Agbodza argued that certain surveyors might encourage project-affected individuals to reject government valuations and promise to secure considerably higher compensation amounts. He claimed that such practices had led to significant financial losses for the state and delays in road project completion. The GhIS responded to these concerns in a statement dated August 21, 2026, expressing its seriousness over the issues raised but emphasizing the need for a case-by-case evaluation of disputed compensation assessments.

The Institution stated that differences between compensation claims and assessments by acquiring authorities should not automatically be considered evidence of professional misconduct or deliberate inflation. A GhIS spokesperson explained that such discrepancies could arise from various legitimate factors, such as the interests involved, the specific claim being addressed, valuation methodologies used, market evidence available, assumptions made, and consequential losses factored into the valuation.

The GhIS urged authorities to evaluate each disputed compensation claim on its individual merits, taking into account the specific evidence and methodology applied in each case. The Institution cautioned against making premature judgments about professional misconduct based solely on differences between the amounts claimed by affected persons or their representatives and the figures assessed by the acquiring authorities.

The GhIS stressed the importance of a thorough assessment of the circumstances surrounding each dispute in order to protect legitimate compensation rights while ensuring that instances of professional misconduct or deliberate inflation are identified and addressed appropriately.