JNIA engineers serve quit notice ...if unpaid

HILDA MHAGAMA

Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA)

JULIUS Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) Terminal III consulting engineers have served notice that effectively terminates their services beginning June, 2016, ostensibly claiming up to eight months in overdue payments.

However, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications, Dr Leonard Chamuriho, says the government is verifying payment vouchers before making any payments.

The revelations were made yesterday during a tour by the Parliamentary Committee on Infrastructure to inspect the project. “It has to be noted that there is no strike … the notice is a normal procedure in which we are currently working,” said Dr Chamuriho.

From June 2016 to January 2017, the government owes the engineers $979,742.15 and 286,142,299.59m/- in arrears overdue over the past eight months.

Upon completion, the new terminal is set to meet future growth on international arrivals by extending capacity to six million passengers per annum in a terminal spanning a total of 60,000 square metres.

In 2014, the total flow of passengers at JNIA reached 2.5 million, well beyond its normal capacity of 1.2 million. Terminals 1 and 2 will be used for domestic flights, which grew to 7.4 per cent in 2014.

Earlier, the Acting Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) Director General, Mr Salim Msangi, cited the new Value Added Tax Act among key challenges facing the project, saying this was precipitated by removal of exemptions on imported construction materials which the project principals may have enjoyed as stipulated under the initial contract documents.

However, he said the government has already paid VAT on the materials which were stuck at the port, and that it was crucial for the government to speed up the process of tax issues on all materials to be used in the project to avoid unnecessary costs. Mr Msangi said the project was earlier slated for completion in August, 2016 but delays in submission of funds amounting to more than 290bn/- for Phase II had since hampered construction works at the terminal.

He further said the ministry responsible for works had requested the money from the Treasury but cautioned that payment delays could most likely hold back timely completion of project.

The new terminal is designed for the anticipated growth of international air traffic, leaving the existing international Terminal Two to cater for domestic flights. More than 50 airports in the country are under TAA supervision, under which they all depend on state funds except for the four airports of JNIA, Kilimanjaro International Airport, Arusha Airport and Mwanza International Airport.

For his part, the committee chairperson, Mr Norman Sigalla, urged the government to disburse the money it had already committed for the project as soon as possible to smoothen its implementation.

“This isn’t a matter for discussion; the government should disburse the money on time as it will also be easier to know the reasons behind the delay of the project,” he noted.