THE 2009 Auditor General’s report has revealed that the Road Development Agency (RDA) irregularly awarded a contract to a firm that was allegedly suspended from participating in Government contracts.
The report stated that China Geo Engineering Corporation was allegedly suspended in accordance with the Zambia National Tender Board circular number 1 of 2008.
The works in question were done on the Zimba-Livingstone Road in Southern Province where other anomalies such as lack of a laboratory facility for the works were realised despite being part of the agreement.
The absence of the laboratory contributed to delays to complete the projects.
The Auditor General’s report also revealed that RDA wasted more than K81 billion paid to Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) on works related to the Mongu-Kalabo Road in Western Province.
The report says that the RDA entered into a contract with CCC to purchase the contractor’s camp site at K1.6 billion but the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) refused to pay for it since it was outside its mandate.
Consequently, CCC claimed K2.6 billion as costs for maintaining the campsite and the RDA incurred cumulated interest expenses totaling K3.6 billion.
The RDA further imported 40 bailey bridges at a contract cost of US$13.1 million at a time when there was no design for the road to support the use of the bridges.
The audit also said that although the RDA bought off-loading equipment for Mongu-Kalabo Road, there were no records to indicate the cost and date of purchase.
Although the contract was for 250 hours, the contractor claimed 850 hours and was paid more than K1.2 billion which was K895 million in excess of the contract sum of K398 million.
In Southern Province, the RDA awarded a contract to China-Geo Engineering to work on the Zimba-Livingstone Road at the time when the contractor was suspended from participating in Government contracts.
On the same project more than K48 million was misapplied to repair RDA motor vehicles that were not part of the project resulting in over-expenditure by K114 million.
On the emergency repair of the Lusitu Bridge in Siavonga it was that the bill of quantities included trees that did not exist while the thickness of the asphalt was not specified.
[Times of Zambia]
Corruption is the order of the day pa Zed. Ati ifintu kusubana…. :)>-
sebana wikute. The order of the day
Well, the sad thing is that nothing will be done about all this. RDA is a complete joke and a waste of money. Where are the RB image builders to give us a tip of how he will do nothing about it?
Its sad to see such things happening and no one is taking action. People are so mute……what is wrong abena Zed.
In Zambia that is an everyday thing that should not even attract attention8->8->8->
Surely nobody follows up on these projects to insure that a quality product is delivered. Somebody should be fired. What a waste:o
China is the key word. If there was no China on this company’s name someting could have been done to stop them
No words. I hope the buck stops at RB, or whoever else has power to act. Otherwise change of Govt is needed as this shows that the incumbert has failed to manage national resources prudently.
Since the abolishmentv of Task force on corruption no significant probes are being done.It’s like Corruption has become OFFICIAL pa Zed.
We deserve what we get people…~X(
As usual, RB will protect the culprits involved in the RDA scam. Bravo Auditor General. Remain impartial and expose them all…