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RB's pronouncements on roads are a marketing strategy - Mulongonti

COMMENT - Minister Mulongoti on lying. See also The Post's editorial response to the Minister's remarks.

RB's pronouncements on roads are a marketing strategy - Mulongonti
By Ernest Chanda
Thu 24 June 2010, 14:30 CAT

WORKS and Supply minister Mike Mulongoti told the parliamentary public accounts (PAC) that President Rupiah Banda's political pronouncements on roads were a 'marketing' strategy.

Appearing before the committee on Wednesday to respond to querries in the Auditor General's report on the Road Development Agency (RDA), Mulongoti said all leaders from opposition political parties made similar statements.

He said this in response to Nkana Patriotic Front parliamentarian Mwenya Musenge who wanted to know if Mulongoti would admit that political pronouncements from President Banda put pressure on RDA resulting in the Agency over-committing in its expenditure.

"Yes, the President has made so many statements. Of course when the President goes out to meet people and they tell him about the bad road network you don't expect the President to say to the people this can't be done now or in the near future, no, that's suicide! He has to assure them that planners are coming and that he will instruct the minister of Finance to mobilise resources from wherever he can. It's a marketing strategy, you are also doing it in other political parties. Remember that there may be only a few months left before the election so you expect him to say that," Mulongoti said.

And Mulongoti admitted that the relationship between the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) and RDA is not cordial.

"There has been bad blood between NRFA and RDA; it's a typical situation; I found it and it's sad. I think it's extremely unfortunate that two sister agencies can not relate well. Many times I've been accused of defending RDA. But what am I supposed to do as the minister responsible? They are pulling each other in different sides. When one wants to contract the payers says no I won't pay," he said.

On over-commitments by RDA, Mulongoti maintained his defence and said there were only multi year committments.

But committee chairperson Emmnauel Hachipuka reminded him that all contracts signed in 2008 were signed between January and December of the same year.

This prompted Mulongoti to keep quiet for a while and later request people with ideas to help RDA.

According to the January 2006-September 2009 Auditor General's report on RDA, the Agency over-committed government by K1, 015 trillion through various road contracts.

The Agency also recorded unretired imprest of over K19 billion.

PAC has been sitting for the past two weeks to consider the report and Mulongoti was the last witness to appear before the committee.

The committee will now compile its report and submit to the National Assembly which resumes sitting on Tuesday next week.

Labels: LYING, MIKE MULONGOTI, PAC, ROADS, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 2:09 PM