Maravi

RDA installing system to reduce corruption

RDA installing system to reduce corruption
By Moses Kuwema
Wed 22 Feb. 2012, 11:59 CAT

ROAD Development Agency executive director Dr Michael Mulenga says the institution is putting in place systems that will reduce incidences of corruption in the road sector. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Dr Mulenga said the institution would make sure that its procedures were well-documented.

"What I can say is that we are trying to put in systems by making sure that we have new management and we are trying as much as possible to have systems in place and once we have systems in place, then incidences of corruption can reduce," Dr Mulenga said.

Dr Mulenga said the RDA would involve stakeholders in carrying out its planning and that the procurement process would be done through a committee.

"We shall make sure that we do our work according to procedure. You notice in the past there were a few problems even in terms of implementing projects. Ideally you are supposed to make sure that the designs and all the preparatory work is ready before you implement but in the past we had the project starting, you are designing as well as implementing. So again that brings in a bit of confusion and of course, people are going to raise issues because you have not done the feasibility studies," he said.

And Dr Mulenga said the ongoing rehabilitation of road projects in Lusaka was set to be completed by the first half of this year.

"All these roads, we are hoping they will be completed within the first half of this year and in terms of how we are going to handle extensions of time and so on, we have to go on a case by case basis because all these contracts are individual contracts and there are others who have done well, and there are others who have not done so well. Generally speaking, I am impressed with the types of works," he said.

Dr Mulenga said the total budget for the entire project was K1 trillion and covered a stretch of 300 kilometres of paved urban roads.

"We also have some gravel roads of the order of 150 kilometres, those were implemented under the rural roads unit under the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications," said Dr Mulenga .

Labels: CORRUPTION, RDA

posted by MrK @ 2:32 PM