PM sends stern warning against defaulting contractors

PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has said that the government will not hesitate to take serious actions against contractors who are tasked to carry out duties but fail to finish them on time.

PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa.

The PM issued the warning yesterday when he addressed workers of the Chalinze Water Supply Authority at their offices near Wami River at Bagamoyo District in the Coast Region.
He was inspecting the expansion of water supply in Chalinze, which has taken a long time as the First Phase was to start in September 2001 and end in 2003.
The PM directed the Minister for Water and Irrigation, Eng James Lwenge, to ensure the project was finalized, warning that failure to do so must lead to termination of the contract and the search for another contractor.
Majaliwa’s directive comes after an Indian company, Overseas Infrastructure Alliance (OIA), which was supposed to finish the project in February failed to do so, leaving it at 23 per cent.
“I have been told that the contractor has been given 100 days, which end on May 31, this year.
If his job will not be satisfactory then I urge you (minister) to look for another contractor,” Majaliwa said.
The PM said the company had failed to do the job, which was the reason why it constructed only 23 percent of the project.
Speaking on the project, the PM urged CHAWALISA director Christopher Mchomba to ensure residents had access to water and meters were installed so that people could pay instead of getting the precious liquid from kiosks.
“The task of taking the water to the people is in your (CHAWALISA) hands and not the ministry, therefore, you should sensitise the people through civic education and let them know your duties,” he said.
Earlier when issuing details of the project, Mchomba said the third phase of the project was signed in May between DAWASA and OIA to construct a USD41.36 water supply project, which was reliant on a loan from the EXIM Bank of India.
According to him, the contractor has already been paid USD15.81 (38 per cent) of the money.
The project is expected to benefit 68 villages along Wami River, whereby 19 villages are in the northern part of the river while 49 are in the southern part.

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