admin
Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter
The Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP2) has been hit by a tendency by some roads authorities to divert funds from their intended use and unprofessional contractors hoarding projects, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said last week.
While speaking to councillors during their inaugural indaba of rural and urban councillors last Friday, Minister Mhona was asked to share insights on the historic ERRP 2, its challenges and emerging opportunities.
“We have also noted with concern that some local roads authorities have been using ERRP2 resources to fund their own programmes,” he said. “Roads authorities would diverge from approved road works which were budgeted under the ERRP 2 and do some other roads.
“A case in point is where ERRP2 funds have been used to fund roads in council housing developments for which they collected money for road development. In other cases, ERRP2 funds were used to fund salaries not related to the programme.
“This impacted negatively on progress and resulted in set targets being missed.”
Minister Mhona said in October 2020, President Mnangagwa put in motion an aspiration for world class road infrastructure when he called upon his Ministry to spearhead the restoration of the country’s road infrastructure after years of neglect.
“Under the President’s strategic reasoning to grow the economy, he directed that local contractors be given a chance to develop the roads as a way of, also among other things, boosting their capacities to undertake huge infrastructural development projects,” he said.
“However, some contractors have not been honest despite benevolence by the President to help them grow. The Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme 2 came at a time when contractors had gone for a considerable time without any meaningful contracts.
“It is regrettable then that when the opportunity presented itself, we witnessed opportunistic behaviour by some contractors. We have had cases of project hoarding and undercutting in order to price others out of tenders. Those contractors have been unable to complete all the works allocated to them and in some cases their bid prices proved to be inadequate for the works at hand.
“This heavily derailed programme progress and Government was left with no choice but debar such contractors from participating in subsequent tenders under the programme.”
Due to illegal sanctions imposed on the country, Zimbabwe has not been able to access international funding for its infrastructure projects, and the ERRP 2 has relied on local funding.
“The ERRP2 has been implemented using local resources, with local contractors and suppliers being given exclusive rights to projects,” said Minister Mhona.
“This has, therefore, presented contractors and suppliers with opportunities for growth and capacity building.
“This is a positive for Government as the capacity so built can be used in subsequent programmes. Roads authorities also managed to give opportunities to budding and local contractors, a market which they can tap into in future engagements.”
Online Reporter