Bridgin shares progress report
Belgium – based Bridgin Foundation has broken its silence and shared
its progress report on the controversial $6.8 billion ‘grant’ to finance infrastructure projects in Malawi amid scepticism over the practicality of its deal.
Communication The Nation has seen shows that from November last year when the President described the Bridgin offer as “ Christmas has come too early”, to date, the foundation was implementing phase one which involves sourcing of funds and identifying potential firms to undertake construction works.
The report said construction of power plants to generate 1 000 megawatts of electricity will start first and that European firms have already been identified to do the work once other processes, including due diligence, are completed.
“Bridgin Foundation is currently executing the first phase of the implementation. The priority is electricity generation projects, both hydro-and gas-fired power plants,” reads the report, which has divided implementation of the project in three phases running from 2019 to 2050.
Firms to undertake the works, the report shows, include Engie Tractebel Engineering of France, Electricite de France, Coba Engineering of Portugal, Siemens Energy of Germany, Vinci Construction from France, Todini Construction of Spain and Ohla Construction also from Spain.
“Bridgin Foundation starts the selection of private companies, technically and financially capable of executing the projects; when suitable companies are identified we sign a construction agreement. This stage lasts on average of between 12 and 18 months,” adds the report.
Based on the initial plan shared during the signing ceremony at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe, there were seven projects with the construction of power plants taking a lion’s share of $3.3 billion.
Other projects include modern teaching hospital in Chileka, Blantyre worth $1 billion, fertiliser plant estimated at $750 million, Inkosi ya Makhosi M’Mbelwa University in Mzimba pegged at $480 million, a geology centre at Mzuzu University allocated $591 million, a high-tech lab at Malawi University of Science and Technology worth $158 million and twin tower at Capital Hill to house government ministries, departments and agencies projected to cost $230 million.
The descriptive report from Bridgin Foundation president Professor Mouhamadou Tanko, says phase two, covering the period 2024 to 2030, will include final feasibility studies, work plan, commencement of construction
commissioning and hand-over to operators. Phase three is for facility management and transfer of infrastructure to the Malawi Government.
Presidential press secretary Anthony Kasunda yesterday confirmed that the President had received a communication from Bridgin Foundation.
However, he ignored some of The Nation questions such as whether the President has confidence in Bridgin.
The progress report indicates an extended implementation period and prioritisation of the electricity project while the signing ceremony seemed to suggest that all the seven projects will be completed within four years, according to Chakwera’s speech. the presentation during
He said: “Never in the history of this nation has there been a developmental programme as momentous as the one we are embarking on today with the Bridgin Foundation, which has agreed to sign a cooperation agreement with the Malawi Government today, with the aim of investing 6.85 billion dollars into various projects over the next three to four years.”
In March this year, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs information officer Chimwemwe Kaunda, responding to our request for information, also indicated the four year period.
Our sister newspaper Weekend Nation in April this year tracked eight countries where Bridgin Foundation made similar promises. However, there were no records to show delivery
