Attorney General putting ’spanners’ to Khato’s work on Lake Malawi water project: MPs back Lilongwe Water Board
Attorney General (AG) Kalekeni Kaphale stopped the Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) from proceeding with the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) in the project of tapping water from Lake Malawi in Salima to the capital, the water utility told the Budget and Finance parliamentary committee on Wednesday.
The proposed project to pump water from Lake Malawi to the capital city, which is 125 kilometres away, has drawn mixed reactions due to, among others, lack of a feasibility study.
But Alfonso Chikuni, the CEO of LWB told the committee that as the water utility were about to advertise for the independent ESIA, they received a letter from Attorney General advising them not to go ahead with the process.
“The letter from the AG is available for your scrutiny,” Alfonso told the committee during the meeting in Lilongwe.
He said the implementation structure of the project is taking care is ESIA needs and requirements.
According to Chikuni, the LWB will use the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) method of contracting arrangement where the contractor is made responsible for all activities from design, procurement, and construction to commissioning and handover to the client.
Chikuni said the project contractor would own risk for schedule and budget in return for a fixed price
The project was awarded to Khato Civils through a restricted tender.
Chikuni clarified that restricted tender according to the Public Procurement Act, is within the law.
“There wasn’t anything wrong that we did in the process of identifying the contractor,” Chikuni said.
Committee chairperson Rhino Chiphiko said the MPs were satisfied with facts regarding the project and that LWB presentation was plausible.
The committee believe the project remained the most practical way towards addressing water woes.
He assured the water board the parliamentary committee’s “support”, saying he will be interacting with the Secretary to Treasury and Ministry of Finance to “continuously ask for their support of the project.”
Chiphiko said it was unfortunate Attorney General was putting “spanners in the works.”
It is expected that the contractor will identify a financier or financiers and government will only guarantee the loan.
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My fellow Mwians these so called leaders are there tu make their pickets full of tax payers money, none of them dream tu work for poor Malawians ,VUTO LA UFE AMW NDI TSANKHO POVOTA TIMAVOTELA POTI NDIWAKWATHU OSATI AMENE ANGAIKE MTUNDU WONSE WA MW PATSOGOLO .
The whole issue concerning this project is now turning into a never-ending soap opera! There are just too many twists and turns. When the deal was signed between Khato Civils and the government by Simbi Phiri and Dr Goodall Gondwe, respectively, it looked like a marriage made in heaven. The news was all over all the natiional broadcaster’s outlets. It was actually heralded as a major development coup by the ruling elite. Fast-forward six months we are now hearing all sorts of sceptism, concerns about critical processes and assessments having been overlooked, etc. Now, timely return to the drawing board… Read more »
The Attorney General has received orders from above to stop the open procurement procedure so that DPP Officials can be given the job
Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk koma lwb ceo??mazobawa anolowela kuba now u have told them facts uwona akhala phee,akufuna Khatho iwanyemele which is not On,iyi ndiyako ceo udye na akazako ndi enawo plus ife kumowaku,big up llceo big up ur mentors
Why is this government fond of politics development? You want a conractor of your own for easy syphoning of the tax payers money. The project could benefit most jobless malawians residing between Salima and Lilongwe. Nonsense AG.
Stupid AG!!! the country needs water and toy are busy doing your politics. Nosense
Really?