26 Mar 2019

The Public Procurement Assert and Disposal Board (PPADB) has expressed satisfaction over construction of the P1.1 billion Gaborone-Boatle dual carriage way road.

The PPADB acting chief executive director,  Mr Elijah Motshedi, who toured the project on Friday, said the intention was to find out  if the project was done according to the agreed specifications and time.

Among the issues that  the contractor had to observe, he said,  was  mandatory citizen sub-contractors empowerment, in which there was a certain percentage  of the project total value reserved for local contractors .

In addition, Mr Motshedi said he also wanted to have first information on how local contractors were  performing as well as finding out what was crucial in skills transfer. 

He emphasised the  contractual agreements, which he said protected local companies, adding that the contractor could not  terminate under performing companies without engaging PPADB.

“So far the quality we have seen is satisfactory,” Mr Motshedi said.

Department of Roads project officer, Ms Palesa Mokote-Tshabaesele said the road project started on 24 March 2017 and was expected to be completed in April this year.

Although the road was initially to be completed in March this year, the contractor encountered delays which pushed the project completion to  April.

Ms Mokote-Tshabaesele said the project was  at an  advanced stage and noted that the project was at 84 per cent against 93 per cent target.

She added that paving, drainage systems and street lighting were among those still lagging behind.

However, the contractor, Mr Talal El-Ali of Consolidated Contactors Company  attributed the delay to difficulty in accessing surface rights for barrow pit.

Secondly, he  said the  relocation of services offered by BOFINET, Water Utilities, and Botswana Power Corporation contributed to the delay in completing the project within the specified period. ENDS