Northern Region Water Board allows rights activists to examine project audits
Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) has allowed a rights group to examine projects audits and contractual agreements.
This involves water projects in Karonga and Nkhata Bay.
Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) requested access to the information on the projects using the Access to Information (ATI) law on the basis that some contracts are awarded to companies with no capacity to deliver quality projects.
In a statement, Northern Region Water Board Chief Executive Officer Titus Mtegha says CDEDI will have access to the audit reports and disclosure of contractual agreements with the suppliers who did the projects.
“However, the access will only be done in the presence of the legal Counsel, Messers John Tennyson and Associates to ensure the access and inspection for the documents is done in compliance with the Access to Information law and to ensure rights of parties of the contractual agreement are preserved and protected,” adds the statement.
On audits, Mtegha says the projects were already audited by independent external areuditors who did their job in compliance with the Public Audit Act.
Last week, CDEDI requested for the information using the operationalized ATI law.
Namiwa argues some companies continue defrauding Malawians of their resources through shoddy works.
The devastating Cyclone Ana has washed away some substandard roads and bridges; exposing shortfalls in construction quality and awarding of contracts to certain companies.
