ESP projects succeed in Phikwe
Onalenna Kelebeile | Tuesday June 20, 2017 16:41
Speaking during the handover of the phase one of the ESP projects here, Garegope said the timely completion of projects, within budget and specifications dispel the myth that government projects are never completed on time. He also said this also dispels the myth that local contractors never deliver quality projects on time and within budget.
“Every stakeholder played his role. We shared risks with the contractors. Many government projects fail because we pile all the risks on the contractors,’ he said. He added that each project had a project manager who was always on site to ensure close monitoring and successful delivery.
“Our enemy is the success we have just achieved. Now we have to prove with the upcoming projects that we did not succeed by mistake,” he said.
Deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Nchidzi Mmolawa said Selebi-Phikwe Town Council (SPTC) is a benchmark in terms of performance on the delivery of the ESP projects after being the first town to hand over their projects.
The ESP projects that were handed over in Selebi-Phikwe started in April 2016. Mmolawa said they are in the second year of the three-year programme. He said that the first phase of the programme targeted 400 classrooms, 280 ablutions and 480 teachers’ quarters in 123 schools around the country. “It is not enough but we looked at priority areas.”
He added that already 100 projects out of 130 for the financial year 2016/2017 have been completed. He said three projects failed because two contractors did not deliver while one contractor went to court to challenge the tendering process, hence it could not take off.
Minister Frans Van Der Westhuizen said his ministry is committed to implementing ESP projects in all councils and to deliver them within schedule, budget and free from defects by applying knowledge, skills, tools and techniques for effective project management. He said the handing over of five projects by SPTC conforms to the ministry’s commitment to delivering projects at the required performance level.
The five projects were awarded a total of P21 million and so far P19. 8 million has been spent and P1.2 million saved.
The minister said of the total spent on the projects, P7 million was spent in Selebi-Phikwe alone, P4 million on procurement of materials and P2.7 million on wages with a total of 187 people employed. “This is a commendable effort and in line with our desire for establishing ESP to empower citizen contractors for purposes of stimulating local economic development through job-creation,” he said.
He added that he expects the expenditure to remain the same even after final accounts payments as interim final accounts were done at practical completion and two projects have already been closed and final accounts paid and there was no change from the interim final account. “I commend council for realising some savings on the projects. The savings will be used on the second phase of ESP,” he said.
He noted that his ministry is faced with challenges of cost overruns, delayed projects completion and poor quality works by some contractors.