Minister Mchacha tells irrigation project contractors ‘no payment until  work completion’

Minister of Irrigation and Water Development, Charles Mchacha has warned contractors implementing different projects in his ministry that they will not be paid until government is satisfied that they have completed works they were contracted to do.

Mchahca: Malawians have high expectation

The minister was speaking in Phalombe after touring a K2.7 billion construction, rehabilitation and expansion project of gravity-fed piped water system at Phalombe Major and Sombani water tanks.

“Malawians have high expectation from us on the work we are supposed to implement for them.

“As such, if given this responsibility, we have to take it seriously and make sure we deliver high quality products for them,” said Mchacha.

The minister said this after the two water tanks he visited turned out to be substandard. The one at Sombani collapsed before use and there are fears that the Phalombe Major Water Tank may burst once in use.

However, a blame game has ensued between the consultant, Uranus Consulting Engineers and a building contractor, FISD Limited Company, where the latter says the consultant presented them a faulty design such that they kept on asking for changes.

On the other hand, the consultant says FISD Limited Company used substandard materials such as Class 25 concrete, hence the collapse of Sombani Water Tank and fears of Phalombe Major Tank bursting once in use.

The minister has since called for a consultative meeting between FISD Company Limited, Urunus Consulting Engineers and government officials to map the way forward.

“This is our country, as such, we have to make sure we build things that last long as failure to do so impacts on us all,” said Mchacha.

He has also called for close supervision of all projects under his ministry to make sure there is no repetition of the Phalombe saga.

“I want officials from my ministry to go into the field and supervise different projects time to time.

“There is no way a contractor would have built a structure that collapses before it’s even used,” said Mchacha.

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Alex mgeni
Alex mgeni
4 years ago

A MCHAMCHA……TAMADEKHANI PLIZ……. tawafunsani kaye a PS anu momwe zimayendela. Inu mwalongosola za ma plot munatenga mwazinyengo????.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Malawi is indeed a failed state. How can you chose this boy for a minister? He is very confused.

Mzeedi
Mzeedi
4 years ago

Fisd is over trading. A small company winning big contracts which everyone knows or should have known the small Fisd can not perform. Awarding tenders because you know the owner or you have been bribed is biggest risk facing Malawi.

Mr Truth Pains
4 years ago

The problem of putting uneducated people like Mchacha create the problem like this.
He don’t know the Term Contract mean and procedures to follow when part of work is done.

Once part of work is done on the contract the contractor is entitled to receive part payment according to Architect’s Certificate that will be issued to the Client.

So this guy called Mchacha is completely dull , I believe now this is A Chikwere on minibus guy.
Contract may take a period of a year or more so what the Contractor is going to pay to his employees every month??

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