Closely monitor public projects, DCs told
...as State House grills incompetent supervisor
STATE House has directed the District commissioners (DCs) in the country to closely monitor and write quarterly reports on the projects being implemented in their respective districts for proper coordination and to avoid poor workmanship.
And special assistant to the President for project implementation and monitoring Andrew Chellah has warned both the contractors and public project supervisors that his office would not tolerate substandard works.
Mr Chellah said this on Tuesday after he inspected several developmental projects in Luampa and Kaoma districts.
Mr Chellah called for constant and adequate supervision of projects by relevant government officers saying lack of proper supervision of government projects has contributed to the delay in completion of most of them and leads to poor final products and construction cost escalation.
After paying a courtesy call on Luampa DC, Winnie Kamayoyo, Mr Chellah toured and inspected various public projects which include construction of a district administration block, modern Police station, civic centre and houses.
Mr Chellah also inspected the K65, 000 World Bank funded Kaumbu fish farming project which is the pilot programme for climate resilience (PPCR).
Speaking in Luampa district after the inspection, Mr Chellah who was happy with the progress made so far in implementing some projects also expressed sadness that some had stalled for various reasons.
He particularly expressed concern that some infrastructure development projects that were almost in completion stalled for over a year either due to erratic funding or contractors abandoning sites after being fully paid.
“I’m happy that projects are there and visible, but disappointed that we somehow lost some concentration especially from what we are getting from the ground where some projects that are at over 80 percent in completion stalled for one year plus because costractors have not been receiving funding. At the same time, it seems there is also lack of strict supervision by the local authority here because some of the works seems to be highly compromised,” Mr Chellah said.
Mr Chellah added, “Those are issues we hope to address immediately through the Ministerial taskforce committee that was recently instituted in State House by President Edgar Lungu.”
He disclosed that once the funds were channeled to the projects, he will be carrying out regular physical inspections to ensure that within two weeks the contractors were on sites working.
And Mr Chellah observed that some roof and wall structures was poorly done and that some constructors used unacceptable scaffolds. Mr Chellah grilled district works supervisor, James Munenga who shamelessly tried in vain to defend all the shoddy work by contractors.
“This poor workmanship we are seeing here is a result of lack of strict supervision. And you are busy defending highly compromised work, why?
“Don’t defend wrong things because you are now creating suspicions within our mind. It is either you are incompetent or corrupt because you cannot be defending contractors for doing shoddy works,” Mr Chellah told the district works supervisor.
He said it was a huge cost to the state when completion of projects is delayed or when there was poor workmanship that needs correction, thereby leading to cost escalation. He expressed displeasure with the poor working attitude by Mr Munenge who tolerated shoddy work by contractors.
Mr Chellah warned that government would not relent to take disciplinary action against anyone frustrating the implementation of its developmental programmes.
He said the civil servants’ responsibility was to interpret, supervise and implement government policies effectively and, therefore, public project supervisors were expected to perform their duties diligently.
Mr Chellah also said the DCs must take it upon themselves to monitor and spearhead development in their respective districts through the identification of viable projects and push for their implementation.
Mr Chellah directed the Luampa DC, Ms Kamayoyo to also carry out regular inspections on all the public projects in the district to avoid poor workmanship.
“DC, we wrote a memo through Cabinet office some few months ago in which you are required to write a quarterly report on the development projects in your district.
“You need to closely monitor the development projects being implemented in your district, and please keep the district works supervisor (Mr Munenga) in check” Mr Chellah said.