Body moves to curb corruption

Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) Malawi has moved to curb corruption in the construction industry by orienting government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) on a new portal dubbed Information Platform for Public Infrastructure.

The portal allows MDAs to disclose and upload information on various infrastructure projects they are undertaking and this enables the public to find out what is happening in any construction project.

For example, the portal enables the public to know when the project started, when it is expected to end and how much money has been invested.

The orientation of the portal is a response to the directive issued by President Lazarus Chakwera, who is also national champion for CoST Malawi, that all public entities managing infrastructure projects should upload their respective projects’ data on the platform by August 31.

Speaking in an interview in Lilongwe on Friday, National Construction Industry Council (NCIC) chief executive officer Gerald Khonje said the portal serves as a deterrent to corruption, which affects the construction industry.

He said: “It is a portal that helps stakeholders, including the local Malawians to know and understand the type of infrastructure they should expect, resources utilised and when it is expected to complete.

“This training is targeting MDAs to sensitise them to how to utilise this platform, which is cost-effective and when the information is stored there, it can be accessed for many generations.”

Khonje said since the launch of the platform, compliance in terms of disclosure and absorption rate has been low, which made them update and upgrade the platform for easy usage.

“With the various requirements that have been made as part and parcel of the laws of Malawi, compliance will definitely increase, but to enhance that compliance, NCIC in collaboration with the CoST initiative is banking on these trainings to increase visibility of the platform.

“After the call from the President, we were approached by various MDAs to help them on how they can comply. That is why we will also have other sessions to make sure that all stakeholders are involved and know what to do with the platform,” he said.

CoST Malawi chairperson Joe Ching’ani said the platform will help players in the construction industry to answer various questions they have to do with infrastructure projects.

“The visibility is there and we continue to monitor how frequent the platform is being visited and used by various stakeholders, including the public, which gives us hope that it will help us reshape the industry,” he said.

CoST is a global collective action that seeks to address corruption and inefficient public spending in construction projects by increasing transparency in the implementation of public infrastructure projects.

In 2008, Malawi joined the CoST after sharing aspirations of the initiative, which was initiated by the UK’s Department for International Development in 2007 drawing on the experience of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

CoST introduces the transparency and accountability concept to the construction sector and focuses specifically on public disclosure of information.

The aim is to enhance the accountability of procuring bodies and construction companies for the cost and quality of public-sector construction projects.