NCIC for quality in construction

By Llywellenie Mpasa:

The National Construction Industry Council (NCIC) has said it is leading initiatives to ensure that firms and individuals are complying with standards when building in the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy.

The government entity, which is mandated to regulate, promote and develop the construction industry in the country, says it will ensure all infrastructural projects are of high standards and prioritises resilience in the face of natural disasters.

NCIC Chief Executive Officer Gerald Khonje made an assessment of damage the cyclone caused to the sector.

Khonje said firms must comply with building codes and safety standards when rebuilding to avert possible future damage caused by natural disasters.

“The NCIC’s initiative involves stakeholder engagement processes to identify potential issues and develop solutions that meet regulatory and safety standards in the short and long term,” he said.

Khonje also said quality assurance is critical in the rebuilding process.

“By championing compliance in the rebuilding process, the NCIC is helping to ensure that the infrastructure is safe, resilient, and meets the needs of the Malawian community,” he said.

He acknowledged that the loss and suffering caused by Cyclone Freddy were unprecedented and required a concerted effort under the presidential call of ‘tigwirizane manja’ to mitigate the impact.

Khonje said industry players should work together to put up a road map for recovery in the short and long term.

NCIC Monitoring Compliance Officer Harrison Banda said efforts should be made to have resilient infrastructure that can withstand or mitigate damage.

He said NCIC has developed the ‘Malawi Infrastructure Delivery Management Standards’ to guide the conception, initiation, design, execution, and maintenance of infrastructure to ensure quality infrastructure is maintained in good condition.

“We are committed to working with stakeholders in the industry to ensure that infrastructure in Malawi is safe, resilient, and of high quality,” Banda said.

Malawi continues to lose billions of kwacha each year due to substandard infrastructure projects, a situation experts have decried as retrogressive.

Experts single out corruption during bidding and tendering processes, lack of capacity among some contractors and consultants, and a quest for cheap labour, among the contributing factors to poor workmanship in the industry.