Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri says the high cost in some public infrastructure projects, is due to deliberate investment in climate-resilient structures that can withstand future shocks.
The minister was responding to concerns over the cost of some development projects, including the proposed construction of 17 cyclone-damaged toilets at nine schools in Machinga at a combined bid amount of K423.1 million.
A notice issued by Machinga District Council on July 31 2026 shows that the council intends to award a contract for the reconstruction of the 17 toilets to Meth Civil Engineering at K423 129 595, translating to about K24.9 million per toilet under the Regional Climate Resilience Programme (RCRP-2).
But in an interview after touring the K268.9 million Magomero Turnoff-Namadzi River Road rehabilitated under RCRP in Chiradzulu yesterday, Phiri said the high cost should not be assessed simply by looking at the number of toilets being constructed.
He said the facilities are designed differently from conventional toilets to ensure they remain functional and useful during future climate-related shocks.
Said Phiri: “People are complaining of a heavy investment that has been put in infrastructure programmes. What we’re doing at the moment is climate-resilient projects.
“We are better off doing it once and complete than going back and forth. We will be spending a lot of money.”
His position comes about three weeks after a debate in Parliament on the widening disparity between the cost of government-funded infrastructure projects and similar projects financed by development partners.
Minister of Education, Science and Technology Bright Msaka described as “daylight thievery” quotations ranging between K1 billion and K4 billion for constructing community day secondary schools.
Besides touring the road, Phiri also presided over the elevation of group village head Kuchombe to Sub-Traditional Authority Kuchombe before donating motorcycle helmets to Kabaza operators in Thyolo.
