Workers constructing Home Affairs offices in Kapiri not paid for months

—–Workers constructing the State-of-the-art Ministry of Home Affairs Offices in Kapiri Mposhi district have complained over none payment of their salaries for over nine months now.

 

Government engaged Risbel Enterprises Construction to build the Home Affairs offices in Kapiri Mposhi district at a total cost of KR33 million to house the ministry’s departments of National Registration, Passports and Immigration.

 

Risbel Enterprises is also building the Ministry of Home Affairs offices in Luangwa district at the same amount.

 

The workers complained to ZANIS yesterday that they had gone without pay for over nine months now.

 

Speaking on behalf of the workers, Laston Chirwa said some affected workers have even stopped work because of none payment of salaries by the construction company’s management.

 

But Risbel Enterprises Construction Director, Abel Chunga, said his company has not been paying salaries to its workers because of delays by government to finalize the payment for the project.

 

In a telephone interview with ZANIS today Mr Chunga said his company was still awaiting transfer of funds from the government.

 

Mr Chunga appealed to the workers to remain calm because government has assured the construction company that it will transfer the funds next week.

“Government has assured us that they will transfer the money next week… the process delayed because there is procedure in government which requires that the funds move from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Home Affairs and then to us… otherwise we regret the inconvenience that we have caused to our workers,” Mr Chunga said.

 

Meanwhile, the construction of two Home Affairs Offices in Luangwa and Kapiri Mposhi districts have reached advanced stages.

 

Mr Chunga said over 95 per cent of the works have been done on the buildings and will be ready for handover to government soon.

 

The projects were supposed to be completed and handed over to government last year.

 

Once completed and commissioned the offices will solve the acute shortage of office accommodation for the departments of National Registration, Passports and Immigrations that currently rent in private buildings.