Ten public construction projects subject for scrutiny by CoST

LUDOVICK KAZOKA

ABOUT ten public construction projects are set for scrutinisation by the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) between March and July to establish their value for money.

Moreover, the government has launched a manual for low volume roads (LVR 2016) to cater for the design of new or upgrading unpaved roads with the capacity of not more than 300 vehicles a day in a move to reduce construction costs significantly.

CoST-Tanzania Chairman, Engineer Kazungu Magili, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that CoST, a global multi-stakeholder initiative, will team up with oversight organs to carrying out the four-month exercise.

“This will facilitate law enforcement organs to identify incidences of malpractices and corruption during stages of project implementation thus being able to take appropriate measures,” said the Cost-Tanzania Chairman at Cost-Tanzania Institutionalisation meeting.

According to Engineer Kazungu, the oversight organs to take part in the exercise are the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) and the National Audit Office of Tanzania.

He pointed out the projects in question as buildings constructed by social security funds namely the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), the LAPF Pension Fund and the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) - and roads under TANROADS.

Other projects include those executed by the Tanzania Buildings Agency (TBA), the National Housing Corporation (NHC) and Ministry for Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training as well as the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children.

Minister of State in President’s Office, Public Service Management and Good Governance, Ms Angela Kairuki, said the government will be saving around 900bn/- per year thanks to the CoST. “Infrastructure consumes a big percentage of public expenditure.

A rough estimate indicates infrastructure provides 53 per cent of the country’s capital formation,” said the Minister in a speech read on her behalf by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Peter Ilomo.

Ms Kairuki said as Fifth Phase Government under President John Magufuli was committed to fighting corruption within public sector, the government will support initiatives like CoST, pointing out that her ministry will continue to provide necessary support to the CoST.

She noted that the work being done by CoST-Tanzania was an opportunity for the government and public in general to keep track of how public money is being spent on infrastructure, noting that such tracking will help the country save money through reduced corruption.