10 Dec 2017

The Ministry of Transport and Communications engages consultants to vet and ascertain that the product delivered by the contractor is of good quality.

Speaking at a consultative meeting on Roads and Information and Communications (ICT) projects recently, Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Kitso Mokaila said the ministry was not getting value for money in most of the projects because of poor quality products, unfinished works and cost overruns.

The ministry, he said, was facing challenges concerning projects that were done by some contractors, adding that it was usually due to inadequate design where design consultants had failed to produce dependable studies of the conditions and estimates of various types of work.

Furthermore, he said some challenges included delays in issuance of drawings, poor supervision by consultants, the inability to build a teamwork relationship with the contract personnel to ensure efficient and smooth transfer of information and activities throughout the contract.

He said the failure by some consultants to advise the employer on changes in the scope of work prior to the tender stage, and the differences in interpretation of certain contract provisions between the contractor and the engineer gave rise to claims against the employer.

Mr Mokaila said all parties must work together to ensure that the “built infrastructure serves its purpose and there is a return on investment.”

The infrastructure built, he said, should meet the minimum acceptable levels of functionality such as affordability, availability, usability, safety, security and cost effectiveness.

For his part, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Mr Kabelo Ebineng said the ministry was holding on a huge budget, but that work was not being done hence the concern that there had been a trend where more money was being spent and projects not finished on time.

“Why are there so many defects on projects that have been constructed on specification, and why are projects not delivered on time?,” he asked.

Mr Ebineng said there was need for consultants to interact with the ministry and contractors.

“There should be commitment from all parties in terms of the need to abide to set standards and complying to them,” he said.

He highlighted that the aim of government was to ensure that there was no bleeding of funds through unjustified processes.

He added that there should be a reduction in establishment costs and the demand for luxurious project vehicles. ENDS