By Pemphero Malimba:
Minister of Transport and Public works Jacob Hara has challenged companies constructing roads in Lilongwe not to compromise on quality in the delivery of the works.
Hara said this Monday after inspecting the progress of roads such as Kenyatta and Mzimba and the Crossroads-Kanengo M1 stretch, which are undergoing reconstruction.
The minister also inspected works on Lilongwe Bridge, where a new structure is being constructed.
He charged that government wants roads that can be durable for a longer period without needing rehabilitation.
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“Generally, our roads are in poor conditions. We are not saying we are going to fix all of them in a day, but once we start the works, we must have confidence that we will not return to them.
“We are not building roads just for political campaign, but something that can be durable so that eventually, we have good roads across the country,” Hara said.
Roads Authority Chief Executive Officer Ammiel Champiti said the State company is determined to ensure that contractors follow all requirements on quality.
“We are doing an interactive approach to ensure that contractors, consultants and all other stakeholders are well informed about the requirements and the consequences if they do not follow the required standards,” Champiti said.
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Consultant for Mzimba Street and Kenyatta Road projects engineer Paul Kulemeka said everything is being done to ensure quality is not compromised.
He also promised that the roads works would not depart from the agreed specifications.
“In terms of time, we believe the momentum that is there now, if not disturbed, will see Mzimba Street completed by August and Kenyatta by December this year,” Kulemeka said.
Governments of China, Japan and Malawi are funding the works which are billed to facelift the outlook of the capital city.
