NRFA addresses concerns on funding of road works
NRFA addresses concerns on funding of road worksBy ROAD FUND CORNER
Tuesday May 13, 2008 [03:00]
In this issue, the Road Fund Corner will highlight some suggestions and concerns raised by Mr. Robert Kelly Salati, a Lusaka motorist and budget expenditure analyst, who has written to nrfa@zamnet.zm as follows:
“I have been following your publications in the press concerning the road works and the fund disbursements that have been made across the country as a motorist and a budget expenditure analyst. If the rationale for the publication is for the members of the public to follow road projects you are funding, the information given is not sufficient.
The reason is that even if the amount is stipulated, date of disbursement and name of road project given, members of the public will not effectively monitor the works since they do not know exactly what the contractor is supposed to do with the funds disbursed for a particular road project.
For example, if the amount disbursed is high, does it mean a good job is expected? If the amount is low, does it mean the job should finish early? You cannot expect a layman to use that information well.
Therefore my proposal to the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) is that you should indicate the information in tabular form showing the expected work to be done by the contractor for every disbursement done and approximate date of completion.
With this approach members of the public will act as whistle-blowers for shoddy works since they will know what is expected to be done with the funds disbursed. Knowing the exact nature of the works helps the community to closely monitor the contractor and ensure there is value for money.
Thanking you for making the masses know which roads are funded” - Robert Kelly Salati, Lusaka.
As Mr. Salati has observed, in line with its core values of transparency and accountability, the NRFA publishes quarterly and annual fund disbursements in the print media for all road projects being funded by the Agency through Zambia’s cooperating partners, the Road Fund and government project-specific funding.
The proposal by Mr Salati to the NRFA to indicate the type of road works being funded and the expected completion date is valid and will be incorporated in future disbursement schedules.
The amount of money involved for a certain project can be high or low. Depending on the nature of the project this money will, to a large extent, determine the quality of works to be done as the amount of money available for a project would ultimately dictate the specifications and scope of work in the contract document.
And each intervention prescribed on any road or section takes into account various factors ranging from the purpose of intervention, general condition and usage of the road to financial limitations. Each intervention prescribed has its own price.
For instance, the unit cost can be based on the width of the carriage way, length of the road intervention, whether the road is gravel or tarred and the number of culverts or bridges and the type of the side drains. Generally, gravel roads are cheaper than tarred roads.
Furthermore, the unit cost would also depend on the contractor’s mobilisation costs, quality of the material and the kind of road equipment and manpower to be used.
And for each intervention prescribed, the expected completion date and the terms of payment are clearly stipulated in the contract document, which details the NRFA would be publishing in future disbursement schedules.
It is imperative, as Mr Salati has observed, for road users and all stakeholders to understand the scope of work being funded, and the specifications as outlined in the contract documents for them to arrive at informed conclusions as to whether or not they are getting value for their money.
The Road Fund Corner welcomes all comments and suggestions from road users and other stakeholders on the activities of the NRFA and will endeavor to publish and respond to all the pertinent issues raised.
Send your comments to Road Fund Corner, Box 50695 Lusaka. Email: nrfa@zamnet.zm; Alphonsius@nrfa.org.zm; website: www.nrfa.org.zm
Labels: NATIONAL ROAD FUND ACT 13, NRFA, ROAD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, ROADS
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