MUNDUBILE DISPELS FALSEHOODS ABOUT CONTRACTORS GETTING MONEY BUT FAILED TO DELIVER
…Challenges Hon Nkombo to reveal how much money govt has lost through non delivery of contracts
Lusaka, Thursday, February 23, 2023 (Smart Eagles)
Mporokoso Member of Parliament Hon Brian Mundubile has put the allegations that some contractors got paid for the service they didn’t deliver during the PF regime to bed.
Since the inception of the New Dawn Administration, a lot of local contractors didn’t get paid because the UPND regime has labeled them as PF cadres.
The none payment of these contractors despite delivering their services to the government has resulted to worsened money scarcity which has in turn led to the escalated cost of living.
In their defense regardless of the works by the said contractors being visible, the UPND officials have been alleging that the contractors did not deliver the services as per contract.
But Leader of Opposition in Parliament Hon Brian Mundubile schooled the New Dawn yesterday in Parliament about how contracts and business with government is conducted.
“The standard contract that I know for the past 20 years that I have been in business , Hon Kapala there is my witness as a consultant. One, either a contractor is paid an advance payment in exchange for an advance payment bond. In which case, in case of default, where there is no work at all, government will cash the bond,” he said.
“In a case where there is an IPC, an Interim Payment Certificate, this certificate is signed by consultant. If there is payment that has been signed without work, government can still, first of all get my performance bond executed by the consultant. Is there evidence that there is one consultant who has been taken to court for having signed an IPC and the contractor is paid where no work is done? Madam Speaker, I want us to be very clear, it’s very very important because there has been deception by our friends on the right, calling contractors criminals, making contractors look as if having a contract in Zambia is a crime.”
The PF presidential hopeful added that a contract is just business, it is normal business.
He challenged the Minister of Local Government, Hon Garry Nkombo to state how much money government lost regarding the matter in question.
“So my question is can you be very clear Minister, at what point government lost money. What contract was used in that particular transaction? Which consultant is before court today for having signed an IPC where no work was done.”
Prior to this, Hon Nkombo said during his ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday that government lost a lot of money.
“We endeavor to harmonize the feeder roads and address the issue of debt, that we are not going to run away from but we are going to make sure that only those that did work are going to be paid. There is a lot of reconciliation that has to be done because it is very clear from the inspection that was conducted at a time we took over office that the money was paid in many instances and the work was not done,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hon Mundubile lamented that most local contractors have fallen victim of the government machinations.
He said as a result of sentiments from government, contractors are failing to secure facilities with banks and international business “and yet government has just been misinforming the nation.”
“If you look at those contractors and contract law, those contracts are complete and they are designed in a way that they resolve any challenge that arises in the contract.
He explained that the contracts don’t invite an outsider, not even government to resolve the challenges but the parties to the contract.
“This sector has collapsed because of mistrust that is existing from government. where there have been innuendos that contractors have been paid money for no work. That they get advances and run away, and yet the contract prescribes how government is secured in all these cases,” he said.
“The position government has taken is against its own policy of employment creation because they have made statements that have disadvantaged contractors.”
Hon Mundubile said it is high time government started promoting local businesses.