07 Aug 2017

The value of government tenders currently held by Estate Construction Botswana in different government ministries stands at a total cost of P1.2 billion.

That was said by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Kenneth Matambo while answering a question in Parliament on August 4.

As to why the company got awarded many government tenders, Mr Matambo said only the ministries that awarded the tenders could tell.  

He also told Parliament that in the past seven years, the company had done various projects among which are for Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services and Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing Development.

The minister said for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the company was awarded Kweneng District Council’s Molepolole bus terminal and associated works project, awarded in January 2013 at a total cost of P155 million.

He said the project was completed in December 2014.

Mr Matambo said for the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, the company was awarded the Platjan Bridge in September 2016 at a total cost of P104.5 million, adding that the contract for the project was signed in May 2017.

For the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the minister said the company was awarded the Ramotswa shoulder sealing road project in May 2011 at a cost of P25 million, saying the project has been completed.

The other project, he pointed out was the Molepolole-Lephepe road Section 1 resealing and road marking project awarded in July 2017 at a cost of P36.8 million.

He said project implementation was expected to start any time from now. Minister Matambo said for the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services the company was awarded Thune Dam pipeline project in July 2015 at a total cost of P361.5 million.

He said the project commenced in August 2015 ad would be completed in April next year.

The other project for the same ministry is Kanye Sanitation project, which was awarded in July 2015 at a cost of P707 million, which the minister said commenced in October 2015 and will be completed in June 2019.

For the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing Development, there are no tenders held by Estate Construction Botswana and the ministry has not awarded any tenders to the company in the past seven years.

Mr Matambo was responding to a question asked by Gaborone North MP, Mr  Haskings Nkaigwa, who wanted him to  state the value of government tenders currently held by Estate Construction Botswana by different government ministries.

Mr Nkaigwa also wanted to know why the company continues to be awarded most of the government tenders.

He also wanted to know projects awarded to this company  and their value for the last seven years in the aforementioned ministries. ENDS