M’mbelwa District Council has cancelled Luweya Bridge construction contract with SK Contractors due to non-compliance and non-performance.
In an interview on Monday M’mbelwa District Council Spokesperson, Joel Phiri, confirmed the suspension saying the contractor failed to meet most of the contract’s conditions.
He said: “The contractor was failing to mobilise adequate materials, tools and equipment for the meaningful progress of the project despite an advance payment to enable him kick start the project.”
Phiri further said the contractor also failed to follow the required procedures of having the work done certified before moving to the next stage as a quality control measure.
He cited issues such as complying with environmental and social safeguards, health and safety at work, labour management, provision of relevant equipment, coordination and defying the client’s advice as some of the contractual obligations which the contractor failed to fulfil.
Phiri said despite persistent efforts to engage the contractor in three on-site meetings aimed at discussing ways of ensuring better progress, the contractor could not comply.
According to Phiri, the council’s internal procurement committee will meet soon to engage the second most successful bidder to continue with the construction works.
Efforts to get a comment from SK Construction Company officials proved futile as they could not be reached on their phones.
Reported by Austine Kachilika
