Projectss implementation dalays: Goverment finally acts

In a July 1 Cabinet mini-reshuffle this year, the president of the fifth-phase government of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr John PombeMagufuli, transferred Professor MakameMbarawa from the ministry of Works, Transport and Communications to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

But, hardly had the good professor comfortably settled in his new position than he came up with a move that may most probably have sent shivers down the spines of project implementers – but that also perked up adherents of good governance and lovers of prompt administrative or managerial action.

The ‘Mbarawa move’ here has everything to do with failure by the implementers of three major water supply projects to complete the implementation in time as scheduled, with some having taken all of five years – and still counting.

This is despite the fact that the projects’ funds had been released on time and in full.

Noting that he had made inspection tours of the projects at Kimara (Dar es Salaam Region), Chalinze (Coast Region), and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika, the minister lamented that “these projects have taken longer that they should” to implement – “and, mind you: the funds were provided; we don’t understand why they have not been completed…”

For instance, the contractors for the Kimara and Chalinze projects have stopped construction works, while those in Kigoma are proceeding at a snail’s pace.

In the event, Prof Mbarawa said, the government “will blacklist the four contractors involved in the three inspected projects for failure to complete the implementation on time” as scheduled.

Contractors’ unreasonable excuses won’t be tolerated

The minister warned that, as long as he is the Water minister, he will “not tolerate ‘unreasonable excuses from contractors.”

Relishing the fact that the 5th-phase government of President John Magufuli “started to implement the country’s ‘Second Water Sector Development Programme’ (WSDP-II) last year in efforts to improve access to water supply and sanitation services across the country,” Prof Mbarawa said “contractors who delay in completing government projects, or underperform without valid reasons, will never be given any new contracts by the ministry.”

Implementing in full and on time the Sh7 trillion second-phase of the nation’s water sector development programme will attain the noble objectives of ‘strengthening the capacity for integrated water resources planning and management in the United Republic, and improving access to water supply and sanitation services in an operationally-efficient manner in the nation’s biggest metropolis, Dar es Salaam.

But, the operational conditions are, of course, completing the projects on time and in full. Failure on those two scores – and such projects will continue to be exercises in futility.

Secondly, project completion delays are not confined to the Water ministry.They are a hydra-headed monster that plagues the entire government.

Therefore, Prof Mbarawa’s move to put the fear of government in dilatory project implementation contractors comes as a pleasant surprise that will, hopefully, be adopted across the government and its institutions.