Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango has expressed concern with the slow progress on the rehabilitation of the M5 first lot section that runs from Kaphatenga in Salima to Benga in Nkhotakota.
The contractor for the M5 road reconstruction project from Kaphatenga to Benga section, which covers about 60 kilometers (km), is China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation (CR20) with an extension of 47km to Nkhotakota Boma in the second lot.
On the other hand, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is working on the 55km Nkhotakota-Dwangwa section.
The project is budgeted at $121 million (about K200 billion) and is co-financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Opec Fund and the Malawi Government through the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Sub-Regional Transport and Trade Facilitation Project.
Speaking on Friday during the inspection of the rehabilitation works, Mhango expressed concern with little progress for the first lot and section.
“The contractor is behind schedule as this project is supposed to be finished by August next year, but now the contractor has made only 16 percent of the project,” he said.
He urged contractors to meet quality standards and prioritise timeframe.
In response, Roads Authority chief executive officer Joel Longwe admitted putting the project into track was difficult due to its high magnitude and environmental factors.
“But now we have allowed the contractor to bring in additional machines following reexamining of those factors, that could help to expedite the construction works to meet the timeframe,” he said.
