K2 billion for damaged roads repair
Minister of Transport and Public Works Francis Kasaila on Thursday revealed that the tentative budget for rehabilitation of damaged roads in flood stricken areas was K2 billion (US$4.4 milliom).
According to Kasaila his ministry is depending on donors to raise some of the money and the rest will come from government in the next financial year.
“We are discussing with donors to help us raise the K2 billion to rehabilitate the roads that were made impassable due to the floods,” he said.
Kasaila said the World Bank is among the known donors that will help in raising the money although he did not mention the amount the World Bank would pump into the project.
He said most of the roads damaged by the floods are now passable except for the Bangula to Mawona Road.
Some of the districts that were affected by the floods include Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Mulanje, Balaka, Machinga, Mangochi, and Salima.
He also revealed that during the next budget sitting the money for road rehabilitation will be discussed separately from the allocation that will go to his ministry.
“The money for the rehabilitation of the roads will be a separate allocation because we do not want it to crash with other developmental allocations for our ministry,” said Kasaila.
He further said the money will also include the bridges that were washed away as they will make the rehabilitation complete—Mana
One would have thought that a comprehensive evaluation of the damage should have been professionally conducted in order to quantify the amount of money needed for repairs. Here the minister seems to just guess the repair estimate. He does not even know whether the World Bank will indeed help fund the project.
Chonde a Malawi, let us approach important issues with the seriousness they deserve. Where is the National Roads Authority in all this? Kapena inatha popeza enafe tinatchona moyenda?
The World Bank suggested a figure of US50,000, 000 and this idiot asks for 4,000,000