Contractors will be required to consolidate work to meet project deadlines – Pres Ali

– urges hinterland contractors to make best use of weather conditions

In a warning to contractors who are tasked with more than one lot, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has advised that they would be required to work on those lots simultaneously in order to meet project deadlines.
During a meeting with contractors, consultants, and Education officials last weekend, President Ali signalled that Government has no-tolerance for project delays, even as he disclosed that some contractors are in the habit of receiving multiple projects or lots and then working on them one by one.

“Those of you who are working in hinterland regions, for example, you have to make use of the weather conditions. Many of you would have more than one project. When you are awarded more than one project, it’s not awarded so you can do one at a time, because you have to possess the capability to work simultaneously on all the projects,” the Head of State said.
President Ali also warned contractors that if they have won multiple lots, Government expects them to work on those lots simultaneously in order to ensure timely completion of projects within deadlines.
“I’ve heard contractors saying to engineers that, ‘When we finish on this site, we’ll mobilize on the other site’. That can’t work here! All the projects will be managed simultaneously! Are we together? Do the contractors understand clearly? Contractors?” the President questioned, and received affirmation from the contractors.
“So, there will be penalties for contractors, and it can cost you your company too. Because if you don’t perform, you can get backlisted and you will not get new projects. This sector is very important for us, that is why I’m taking the time to come with the ministers to speak directly to you,” President Ali has said.
Following concerns raised over the awarding of contracts to selected contractors and the inability to meet project deadlines or build according to specifications, Government has, in the past few months, embarked on the pursuit of greater accountability within the procurement processes across all sectors. Among the initiatives announced are the establishment of a Contract Compliance Unit (CCU) within the Ministry of Legal Affairs and other units being established within the various ministries in order to assess the performance of contractors.
It was also announced last month that a nationwide initiative is underway to digitize contractor evaluations in order to combat and eradicate corruption in the public procurement process. This new system aims to standardize and enhance the ability of the Evaluation Committee of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) to monitor infrastructural projects and the allocation of Government contracts to various entities.
Contractors are currently required to report to the Evaluation Committee on the status of ongoing projects and the percentage of work completed on those projects. However, due to the dishonesty of several contractors, the Government, by way of a direct order from President Ali, has begun to pursue liquidated damages for delayed state projects. In this regard, as of July, approximately $3 billion in charges for liquidated damages have been instituted over delays in public projects awarded through the Ministries of Public Works, Housing and Water, and Agriculture, among others.
The Public Works Ministry had, as of July 2024, issued letters to contractors on 365 projects which had experienced unjustified delays, seeking liquidated damages of $934.65 million. Additionally, Government has made it clear that regional administrators and engineers would also be held accountable if they do not penalise contractors for breaches of their contracts.