Government a 14 day ultimatum to all the 11 contractors engaged to work on Strengthening Climate Resilience on the Kafue Flats (SCRiKA) projects to finish the works for local community to benefit from the projects.
And Chitembo Chonga, the National Coordinator for Pilot Programmne on Climate Resilience (PPCR) says lack of community engagement and close monitoring contributed to the shoddy works done by some contractors so far and has also called for them to redo the works to ensure quality work.
Speaking yesterday during a tour of the 12 major projects in Monze District funded by African Development Bank (ADB) at a total cost of K3, 749,640.85, Southern Province Permanent Secretary Mwangala Liomba has urged on all contractors to ensure that works are completed in a fortnight’s time.
He also directed that all the contractors to redo any shoddy works on some of the projects aimed at empowering communities and increasing their resilience to climate change.
Some of the ADB funded projects in Monze include, construction of nine poultry houses, 10 dip tanks for goats, construction of 2 fish ponds, drilling of19 boreholes, installation of 11 solar powered boreholes, installation of 8 irrigation kits and construction 8 of goat kraals.
The 11 contractors from Lusaka and Copper belt engaged include ML Drilling and Exploration Limited, Krel Mining and Construction, Bobman Ventures, Medre Agro and Power solutions, Tonywood General Dealers, LK Kays Electrical, Savco Investments, Sustainable Water Development Solutions, Srujala Tech Limited, and Themats Enterprises, respectively.
The PS commended some contractors for doing a good and encouraged those that have not done a good job to move back to site and complete the works so that by December 1st all the facilities should be complete.
Mr. Liomba also directed the District SCRiKA team to intensify supervision and monitoring to ensure that all projects are completed and are of high quality.
During the tour of selected projects PS and the District team observed that most projects were either incomplete or of poor standards and only found one contractor on site, a situation which also irked the PS who reiterated the need for the District Team to be proactive and ensure that works are progressing without fail.
“I wish to commend some contractors for doing a good job up to where they are and at the same time I want to encourage contractors that have not done a good job to move back on site and finish the works within fourteen days so that come December 1, 2018 all these facilities should be operational.
“I also want to encourage the District team to work a little more in terms of supervision and monitoring so that we get value for money for people to benefit from these projects because it is the intention of government and its cooperating partners to empower people,” said Mr. Liomba.
The PS also said some shoddy works done on some of the projects by local Zambian Contractors was yet another bitter a lesson to government but hastened to say that the projects were minor jobs that should have been done by contractors in southern province.
He said in the near future, he would not entertain contractors from outside the province because of difficulties in monitoring and supervising them.
And Ms Chonga says it is sad that the District failed to engage the community in the entire process of procurement, supervision and monitoring the projects to preclude any shoddy works done on some projects.
Ms Chonga said it was important for the District SCRiKA team to fully engage the local communities where the projects are being implemented for them to own the projects and ensure their completion and sustainability.
She said the projects would only become meaningful to the community if they are completed to provide alternative livelihood and something more resilience to climate change.
Ms Chonga also called on all the contractors to come back on site and redone some shoddy works at no cost to government of the community.
According to a financial documents obtained by ZANIS a total of K1,268,055.09 had been paid to all the 11 contractors leaving a balance of K2,481,585.76 yet to be paid upon completion of all the works.
Honestly, how do you have all the 11 Contractors come outside of the Province??
PF – too much corruption and nepotism.
This is really very very unfair to the Contractors in Southern Province.
Because you spend your who day buying bundles and insulting and anti voting anyone against your leader, instead of working
You thimk n when your president goes to state house Zambia will be paradise
Contractors in southern province Voted For Upnd so they should not be complaining if they’re not awarded any contracts. These are African politics badala join them or you lose. Kwasila
14 DAYS ULTIMATAM …….. THEN WHAT GIVE THE PROJECTS TO THE CHINESE ?????????????
Yes and Chinese will do the job. They dont ask for down payment like brief case Zambian contractor
You see, zambians contractors. All these goons were given the money but can’t give us the best. There is nothing like no money. These projects are being implemented in all districtso implementing scrika. They are all give same money. But zambians are a let down. Surely giving chambia borrowed money is a mistake.
Truth be told it’s really unfair to say Zambian contractors are a let down. Most of these companies are hand picked though works are tendered. But there is a ghost hand in picking. When they fail to perform then they are local contractors. Please give a real Zambian contractor a break. There is a lot of hell local contractors go through,they make ten steps ahead and they are pushed back twenty steps back wards. Imagine even local banks can’t give a local contractor a loan when they are doing a government project saying it’s a high risk.