Gov’t will ensure it gets value for money from contractors – Min. Indar

The Ministry of Public Works will continue to be firm with contractors undertaking development projects to ensure that timelines are met and the works are completed satisfactorily, gaining value for taxpayers’ dollars.

This position was made clear by Junior Public Works Minister, Deodat Indar who was speaking during a television programme on Wednesday evening.

The minister explained that there are many cases where contractors will begin a project, only to have said project stalled for a variety of reasons, such as material shortage or delay.

“When that happens, you have a frustrated resident or someone in a wheelchair who cannot get in or out. That is where the complaints come from. At a policy level, we take this very seriously. When we have a contract for a street in the neighbourhood, it is meant for good. It means that the street was bad in the first place, and we are trying to make it good. When government spends taxpayers’ money, it is meant for good,” the minister stated.

Minister Indar explained that this situation is common, especially with the construction of community roads.

“When we assumed the government, most of the roads in this country were in a dilapidated state. We are now fixing those, community by community, and if you were to go throughout this country, you would see it,” he added.

This came mere hours after the minister called for the termination of an $87 million concrete road project in the Mahdia township, following a three-year-long saga of slothful work and excuses.

In addition to the road project being behind its extended September 2022 deadline, the completed portion of the road is laced with structural defects.

Further, the contractors for road projects at Danjah Street are on ‘thin ice’, as only 42 per cent of the $60.5 million concrete road project was executed.

The minister on Wednesday informed residents that the project has surpassed its completion date, therefore it will be cancelled.

A stern warning was also extended to the contractors responsible for completing a $108.6 million concrete road (500 metres) within the Mahdia township. These contractors were given a deadline of one month from now to have the works completed.

This stern hand has characterised the public works ministry’s management of infrastructural projects.