CONTRACTORS CUM CONMEN

IT is not surprising that President Edgar Lungu was annoyed over the delayed completion of the K12.9 million Ikelenge District Hospital which was abandoned by a contractor in 2019.

This is not the first time that President Lungu has come face to face with incomplete projects in other parts of the country even when Treasury has released funds.

We recall that last year when President Lungu visited development projects in Eastern Province, he was not only displeased with what he found, he directed the provincial administration to act against the truant contractors.

It is unfair for a contractor who has been paid over half of the contract sum to abandon a project. It is random theft of public funds and this must be stopped.

In the case of the Ikelenge project, the works which started in 2015 reached 40 percent completion before being abandoned. But the cost of the remaining works which were estimated at K8 million had now increased to K31 million.

Such contractors should not be entertained for they are denying development to the people and making the government unpopular. It is important to engage serious contractors and not conmen.

We hope the provincial administration in the North-Western Province will act swiftly and revoke the contract of the erring contractor as directed by President Lungu.

Government has embarked on the construction of district hospitals throughout the country to ensure that health services are brought closer to the people.

This is a programme that should not be derailed and any contractor that fails to complete such projects should not be spared.

As President Lungu said, the PF government has an ambitious agenda to roll out development to all corners of the country and would not allow projects to be abandoned.

We hope therefore that the North-Western Province Permanent Secretary, Mr Willies Mangimela will heed the President’s directive and speed up the disengagement with the failed contractor.

"Can you quickly finalise the processes of getting the new contractor on site so that works can resume immediately. We have an agenda as PF to take development to all corners of the country so we will not allow projects to be abandoned," Mr Lungu said.

The Ikelenge project will now cost the government more at a time when it is struggling to find resources for other needy areas.

According to the provincial Infrastructure Officer, Mr Paul Lusaka, about K31 million was now needed to complete the hospital.

Engineer Lusaka said the cost of the project had gone up because of delays as the price of materials had increased.

This is the more reason why care must be taken in the selection of contractors. Contractors must be engaged based on their track record because the government uses public resources to fund projects.

Contractors entrusted with carrying out major development projects must also realise that their future success depends on how they perform apart from the satisfaction of doing such works.

In a nutshell, the Ikelenge experience makes sad reading as people’s dreams are shattered through uncompleted projects. And President Lungu, being the ship’s captain is right to be annoyed as he expects all in government to work and meet people’s expectations.

Time wasters are a huge drain on the nation’s coffers.