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Northern Province Minister Obby Chisala has called on the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Christopher Yaluma to find another contractor to complete works at the Kasaba Bay Airport in the province following the failure by Ng’andu Contractors to complete construction works on time.
Mr. Chisala noted that despite government releasing funds for the completion of the project, nothing much has been done at airport.
He said the current contactor engaged to extend the airport runaway and work on other infrastructure at Kasaba Bay has not shown commitment to complete the construction works.
The provincial minister disclosed that during his latest visit to the project site, he found that about 1,800 pockets of cement had gone to waste without the contractor doing anything.
Mr. Chisala said he contractor was expected to extend the runaway by two kilometres but found that nothing had been done so far while the presidential chalets remained incomplete too.
He has since suggested that the whole presidential house be re-designed and not renovated.
Mr. Chisala said this when the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Christopher Yaluma paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Kasama.
He told Mr. Yaluma that government should review the contract so that it could be terminated and given to another serious contractor to finish the remaining works.
The Provincial Minister however praised government for commencing works on Kasama-Mbesuma road, Mbala-Nakonde road and Kasama-Mporokoso road but called for speedy works from contractors.
In response, Mr. Yaluma said government was taking the Kasaba Bay project and road construction in Northern Province very serious so as to expose the tourism potential of the
province.
He said the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was still considering the report about the mishandling of the project as revealed by the Auditor General’s report.
The minister regretted that about KR70 million has been spent on the project but nothing much seems to have been done.
He therefore said government will ensure that things were corrected.
He said despite all what had happened in the past, government will ensure that the runways were worked on and brought to bituminous standards saying the project will be tendered in the next two months time.
He said funds were being prepared to ensure that the entire facility and its infrastructure were worked on quickly.
Mr. Yaluma added that government was serious with revamping the road network in the country adding that it will monitor and supervise works on all ongoing road works countrywide.
He noted that certain road such as the Mbala-Nakonde road, which is a shorter route for people from Mpulungu, Mbala and other surrounding areas, were very critical to the economic development because of the areas they link.
