Africa-Press – Tanzania. UNCERTAINTY lingers over the implementation of a multibillion project at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) Mloganzila Campus.
The project involves the construction of the academic and supporting facility.
Despite the contractor, Tanzania Building Agency (TBA) being paid advance payment amounting to 3.9bn/-, they have abandoned the construction site without proper explanation.
MUHAS Engineer, Shadrack Magoro said the project costing more than 13bn/- will consist of seven buildings, including a dormitory, cafeteria, laboratory and library.
The construction began in early 2018 but at the end of that year construction stagnated.
“Before starting the project, we paid the contractor 3.9bn/ – and worked for a few months before faltering, and when we spoke to TBA, they informed us that financial flow was not good, which prevented them from continuing to work,” he explained.
According to him, they have had regular meetings with the contractor but he asked for more money so that he could continue with the project, but even when we evaluated the extent to which he implemented the project, it did not match with the money we paid them.
MUHAS Director of Estate, Mr Gerald Mwikuka said after holding regular meetings with TBA, they asked them if they have the muscles to continue with the project, and they agreed that they have that ability, but nothing has been done since then.
“After seeing that there are challenges in the implementation of this project, we decided to write a letter to the Ministry of Education to terminate the contract with TBA, a process which we know will take a little longer, so our request to the ministry is to speed up the process so that this construction can continue,” he said.
Speaking during an impromptu visit at the site, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Mr Omari Kipanga said he decided to visit the project to get an actual picture of what happened because they have received information that the contractor has abandoned the site and has left some equipment behind.
“It is sad to see that the contractor has been given money but has not done any work, and has left the site, leaving some of the equipment behind, but which has been damaged due to poor storage humidity and temperature,” said Mr Kipanga.
He further said on 28 December 2020, they will have a meeting at the ministry to come up with a decision on this matter.
“We have to make the right decisions on time, so we are working on this. I believe through our session we will find a solution to this,” TBA Strategic Plan for 2012-2017 outlines that one of the biggest challenges.
TBA is facing is the high debt owed by the government, which stands at about 17.5bn/-, something that has limited their ability to undertake development activities and completing assigned consultancy projects.
TBA is a government’s executive agency under the ministry of works dealing with building with buildings consultancy, real estate and management services for government and public servants.
