He said Government is not getting a return of out of its massive investments into some of the road projects because of the poor workmanship.
He urged both local and foreign contractors to adhere to contractual specifications and ensure they value the confidence Government places in them when given contracts by delivering quality products.
“The quality of roads is a major concern. Some of the roads that are under three or four years are breaking apart. It is actually worrying that we are building expensive roads and they are breaking apart,” Mr Mutati said.
He said Government is working out measures aimed at inserting a minimum guarantee clause in the contract so that the money could be returned until the expiry of the period.
“We are certainly, through the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure [Ronald Chitotela], going to institute the minimum guarantee clause, so that we return the money until that minimum guarantee period has expired as one of the immediate measure we can do in the road sector.
“It is worrying that we are building the roads and they are breaking apart. We will not allow this to continue,” Mr Mutati said.
He said contractors undertaking various projects have an obligation to deliver quality projects to be guaranteed of securing more projects from Government.
Mr Mutati said Government is spending a lot of money on infrastructure development and will not allow contractors to betray its trust through shoddy works.
He also called for close supervision of all projects by people entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring contractors adhere to their contractual obligations.
Only because cheap material was used in oder to embezzl the funds intended for buildng good roads.
Only because cheap material was used in oder to embezzle the funds intended for buildng good roads.
But isn’t there a warranty period in which if any damage occurs e.g within 3 years, the contractor should repair at their cost?
Isn’t there any quality assurance by an independent body that checks the quality of the roads and certifies them for use before the contractor hands them to the government?
If there are no controls during construction, do not decry.
Roads accounts is at statehouse. Then paid out in cash, of which a minister in charge of roads gets personal 5%. What’s contractor gonna do…
The Zambian government system is frankly rotten. The concept of governance is unfathomable. Zambia does not qualify to be called a country
It’s because you are stealing money meant for building roads.
BUT, HAVE YOU EVER AT ONE/ANY TIME INSPECTED THE PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN AS A MINISTER OF FINANCE WHO RELEASES MONEY FOR THESE PROJECTS? MISTAKES BEING SPOTTED AFTER THE PROJECT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED MEANS INCOMPETENCE ON THE PART OF MINISTERS AND THOSE WHO SIGN OFF THE PROJECTS.
I HAPPENED TO BE IN MANSA IN (IF NOT MISTAKEN) 2009 WHEN THEY WERE CONSTRUCTING MANSA GOVERNMENT INN OR WHATEVER. JUST THE ONE BEHIND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. THE CHINESE CONSTRACTORS HAD REACHED A ROOF-LEVEL. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A SERIOUS CRACK WHICH AFFECTED THE FOUNDATION, UP THE SLAB TO THE ROOF LEVE. THE CRACK WAS SO SERIOUS ONE COULD NEVER MISS IT (EVEN A BABY ON THE MOTHER’S BACK). I ASKED MY UNCLE WHY THE BUILDING HAS BEEN SIGNED OFF WITH THIS SERIOUS CRACK. THE ANSWER WAS: “AH! BALILYE NDALAMA BA MINISTER NABAMBI, HOW CAN THEY COME BACK TO ASK THE CHINESE TO CORRECT THE MISTAKE?” SO BWANA MINISTER JUST MIND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. DON’T F00L PEOPLE.
No. Pay both the contractor and supervisor on time then you will avoid collusion on sites. You can’t pay a Contractor and leave out the supervisor and expect the super into be hungry whilst the Contractor is full. That’s a receipt for collusion and confused state of site affairs. Secondly stop corruption in the award of contracts! Simple. Certain actions can not be taken because the people who are supposed to take action have been compromised
President Lungu now a millionare came to office as a poor man- Mulongoti
Mutati is a silly dog who knows that the reason is because contracts are awarded through corruption. Even lungu gets cuts that’s why he now millionaire that ugly rat. He will die of rat poison soon
@ Nez
You have really become a rabid dog. You need to visit a vet clinic before you infect many with your rabbies.
The only dog we know is that one which continues to support lungu and yet it’s own relatives are suffering. You are actually a dogs tail because you seem to be a blind follower of a doggy illegal government.
This statement is pathetic to say the least. It is not the contractor’s problem that roads are washing away in such a shot time. Mutati shud reform and become a 21st leader. He knows very well that it’s his govt which choses the type of roads to be made and not the contractor. STOP AWARDING CONTRACTS IN THE GOLF COURSE OF STATEHOUSE
Expensive roads cheaply done.. U don’t need a rocket scientist to employ qualified people to do them instead of giving tenders to your quack friends who later sale them to Chinese
Quality Assurance is supposed to be built-in in the design of the projects and that is the responsibility of your govt Mr. Mutati. You are not doing your work. Whom are you complaining to?
Nkhata: very true. Quality is designed and not built. So if you don’t include it during design then forget about it doing construction it’s as simple as that
Mutati or Mutant better be silent. The more he speaks the more irritating it gets. He is a scratched CD
People who talk too much are not performers…Instead of identifying the root cause he’s rushing to the media…Mr Mutati is just the same as bashi Nono…
You pay the contractor money of third class road then you want them to do a 1st class road? Stop cheating us bwana Minister.
A picture indeed speaks a thousand words. Three years later and a tarred street looks as bad as that?, Its worse than a neglected back alley. Even a 4×4 would have to go full throttle to drive thru that street.
And to make it worse, loaned money, with interest, was used. And who is yoked to this loan to pay back? Your children and mine, your relatives and mine because they are Zambians and there is only one Zambia in the Planet. Our future generation. This is the ‘inheritance’ we are passing on to them?
And instead of going ballistic and spitting fire as a Finance Minister (Custodian of the Country’s treasury) should be seen to do for damage control, Ba Mutati is merely worried? And goes on to indirectly apportion blame on the ‘lack of a minimum guarantee clause in the…
…Cont’d … in the contract’?
This is as scandals as it gets.
Brubas: that was a propaganda picture. No road was built after the edge of tarmac. It’s not possible to have a road built in that section with those bushes or is it flowers so visible. It was pure propaganda
This is PF sontapo corruption.
80 % of those roads will not last 8 years.
And most of them have no economic benefit and were awarded as corruption.
There lies the problem…you award the contracts yet you are blaming the ones you give the contracts, if you hire maids and they are all sacked due to theft then something is wrong with your recruitment strategy.
We have corrupt politicians who lack problem solving skills …its an open secret that every politician in govt is connected to a Road construction company.
PF cadre made roads, shame on you guys. This is how Zambia has accumulated so much debt just to be washed away in a drain. Now you running to IMF and after that, the drain is waiting to wash away the IMF USD1.2 billion
3.2 NEZ, for once tell us how U5 would perform better had he been President of Zambia rather than presidenT of UPNDonkey party.
In 2016 we gave U5 a chance to tell us what he could do better for Zambia’s economic development. Alas! the underfive went on a tangent talking about Miners’ bedroom affairs in Chililabombwe, telling lies about bringing back the ailing Anglo to improve copper prices and reemploy all retrenched Miners, stop loadshedding, reducing electricity prices by half, providing free education from nursery to university and other goodies and freebies, while at the same lamenting that Lungu had destroyed the economy and the country was in heavy debts which it could not repay! The voters were enlightened enough to know this was hogwash, yes all the voters except the…
….. The voters were enlightened enough to know this was hogwash, yes all the voters except the UPNDonkeys.
I used to listen to U5 when he acted as the “economic manager” in 2015 and before. I thought well this guy needs to be given a chance to prove himself. In 2016 I really don’t know what happened, the guy suddenly became a pure breed U5 Donkey and turned his or Mazoka’s party UPND into UPNDonkeys party. Fortunately the majority of Zambians remained human and gave U5 the 50%+1 treatment, from which he has never recovered, especially now that he chose to relax in Chimbokaila.
Those expensive roads should carry a 5yr warrant. Include this in your next contract agreement if you have to have good roads built with good materials.
How can there be warranty when there is corruption?After sharing ,each goes his way.At whose expense do you want to administer warranty?These Chinese contractors are “neo-capitalists”,more aggressive than the West.By the time they are done with Zambia,we will be so impoverished with a lot of kongole. In every “deal” they get more than these corrupt guys,in fact they give them change!!
Your comment is so scary coz it Carrys so much truth
Mutati pretends as if he is in a new govt administration!!
Funny how the minister of finance is now talking about road construction. To me this is an insult to the minister in charge of infrastructure development. Is he trying to insult the PF government or merely positioning himself for 2021 MMD campaign strategy?
This is something no one can support. Why is the gov’t not clawing back funds paid? And how about suing them?
How can they sue themselves…did you not hear what BUFFOON CK said, if they are not doing the contract they have got a kickback!!
If roads are breaking apart, someone needs to be held responsible. If it was just one road, maybe some people would be excused BUT how come there are many roads coming apart? The Quality Assurance is suspect.RDA and RDF should explain to the Zambian people why they should not be held responsible for these shoddy work. Works and Supply Minister should be made to explain why things are like this And president Lungu should not leave any stones un turned. Zambia has lost so much through these roads and it appears we will continue to lose some more. So what is the next step Mr. President Lungu? People have to explain this Roads scandal. Alot of people have pocketed money from these roads. Please investigate and act for once!
Don’t urge poor contractors. Sue them!
It is obvious that this space was not designed to accommodate a road! Simple! You don’t need to be an engineer to know this! You know the problematic rock bed of Lusaka and please those responsible for doing this without taking into consideration of deep farrow drainage system that Lusaka requires must be charged!
@NEZ, everybody else is silly except your mother and your father? I bet you are too!