MPs want contractor to refund Marep funds

 Members of Parliament (MPs ) yesterday demanded a refund of public funds from a contractor hired under the Malawi Rural Electrification Project 9 (Marep 9) following cancellation of contracts.

The calls came after a report by the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change on the status of the project which is yet to begin.

Presenting the report, committee vice-chairperson George Million said four suppliers had not delivered anything as at October 2023 and upon consulting the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) and the Office of the Attorney General, the Ministry of Energy cancelled the contracts of the non-performing contractors.

He said: “Of the four non-performing, Ndawala 2 and Marep 9 supply contactors, three had collected advance payments.

“It was indicated that the Ministry of Energy had written the contractors in question to return the advance payments they collected and as at October 2023, only two had paid back the funds and one was yet to repay the ministry.”

Commenting on the report, Leader of Opposition in the Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa said the Attorney General should come in and help in recovering the taxpayers money.

Both Thyolo Central MP Ben Phiri (Democratic Progressive Party) and Mangochi South parliamentarian Lilian Patel (United Democratic Front) concurred with Nankhumwa, saying electricity is a serious issue as it spurs development in the country.

But rising on a point of order, Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda said names of people who could not defend themselves should not be mentioned in the House, sparking sentiments that government was shielding the fraudsters.

According to the report, all the suppliers that received advance payments provided bank bonds securing 100 percent of the funds collected and upon being informed that their contracts had lapsed, three contractors instructed their banks to release their bonds to the ministry.

The commi ttee further bemoaned that although the project had not yet started as of October 2023, K6.2 billion was already utilised to clear compensation for 95 percent of Marep 9.

Earlier, the Ministry of Energy indicated that contracts for the supply of materials totalled K71 billion while construction works, awarded before the 44 percent kwacha devaluation last BNovember, were estimated at K9 billion.

The programme was set to connect 416 sites to electricity