FRA storage construction under scrutiny

GOVERNMENT has said it will investigate contracts the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) issued for the construction of 98 storage sheds countrywide.

Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Minister Yamfwa Mukanga said yesterday that the Government was disappointed with FRA over its failure to engage the ministry in the project. Mr. Mukanga said in Kitwe yesterday that it was sad that FRA decided to involve the ministry, which is the Government’s principal engineer, at a later stage.

“This is a culture we don’t want to adopt as a new Government of not following procedures. We are not happy about what transpired,” he said. FRA awarded contracts to various companies for the construction of 98 storage sheds countrywide but allegedly did not involve the then ministry of Works and Supply.

The time frame for the completion of the projects had elapsed with only a few companies meeting their contractual obligations. Mr. Mukanga said there was need to follow procedure in order for the country to derive maximum benefits from the projects being implemented using tax payers’ money.

He said he was still studying the contracts in order to determine the way forward. But FRA public relations officer Mwamba Siame said FRA had involved the ministry from the time of inception of the projects.

Ms. Siame said in response to a Press query that FRA was carrying out the construction of slabs with technical assistance from the ministry of Works and Supply. She said the ministry engineers also provided the design for the slabs.

The engineers were involved in the monitoring of construction works and would be involved in certifying quality of work done upon completion.

She said the project delayed initially as approval of financing was only received in May 2011. “A lot of efforts were put in to ensure that the project remained on course as permission to shorten the floatation period for the tender was even sought from the Zambia Public Procurement Authority,” Ms. Siame said.

She said only a few contractors had not started works because the 50 per cent advance payment had not been released. However, some FRA insiders said the ministry of Works and Supply was not involved in the project.

The insiders claim that the biding documents were done before surveyors from the principal consultant, the ministry of Works and Supply surveyed the sites to come up with contractual details. They said 50 per cent advance payment was paid to some contractors some of whom had not moved on site to date.
[Times of Zambia]