Africa-Press – Uganda. The contractor for Kabaale International Airport has laid down tools over variation in prices of construction, four months to the completion date for the project.
The government contracted Israeli-British firms, Shikun and Binui International (SBI/Colas Limited) to construct the airport in Hoima District.
The construction works started in 2018 and are expected to be completed by June this year.
However, two weeks ago, the contractor laid down tools over payment. They claim the government has not paid them since May last year due to variations in prices for the construction materials.
SBC Communications Officer, Mr Amos Muriisa told this publication at the weekend that the company has made several payment claims to the government for the last six months in vain.
“There was no response for six months. So we reached a point where we couldn’t go on and decided to halt the works for a certain period of time as the matter is being resolved,” he said.
He said the works are nearly complete, at about 90 percent.
Mr Muriisa said work will only resume after the matter has been resolved.
“Some people want to politicise this issue which is technical, let both parties sit and agree because what we demand is provided in the contract,” he said.
Mr Muriisa added: “We must first sit down and resolve this impasse which has caused the project to halt. This is going to be solved because the contractor, consultant and government are talking.”
Last Monday, State minister for Transport, Fred Byamukama, while on a field visit to inspect the ongoing works, discovered that the contractor had halted the construction works.
Mr Byamukama accused the contractor of exaggerating prices for some construction materials such as iron bars, cement and sand.
“Civil works involved 264 million euros (about Shs 1.1 trillion) but people want to connive with the contractor such that government can lose over 28 million euros which is about Shs126 billion. This money will be lost in the name of variation of prices. We agree during covid-19, prices increased, but it did not increase [as much as they are saying so], they are exaggerating,” he said.
Mr Byamukama said the contractor must explain what items have been affected and by how much in the last two years.
Otherwise, he is not convinced that the prices of construction materials have risen drastically since 2020, to warrant SBC’s claims.
Mr Byamukama said “We want them to tell us if a sack of cement was Shs30,000 how much did they buy it? It was increased to how much? When you ask them such a question, they keep quiet. So we cannot allow government to lose Shs126 billion because of mafias who want to fill their stomachs.”
The airport will have a runway that is 3,500 metres long and 45 metres wide, a passenger terminal and associated facilities to support operations of cargo and passenger aircraft.
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