$1.7 Billion of the allotment of $ 3.5 Billion been expended by the Zimbabwe Administration for Complementary Grant in a bid to Guarantee Implementation of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP2)

By Abdul Rahman Bangura–

Photo Credit: The Borgen Project

NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS (NABN) Freetown, Sierra Leone- Precisely, ERRP2 is directly concentrating on overhauling shattered boulevards, routine maintenance and improvement without financing new advancement projects. On this regard, $1.7 billion of the allocation of $3.5 billion has been expended to Road
Authorities comprising Councils, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and the District Development Fund (DDF), amongst others.

Moreover, the administration has broaden its spectrum, in swiveling to the market to boost bonds for new developmental projects. It arrives as systems and material supplies are being fine-tuned to accelerate enactment of ERRP2 projects across the country ahead of the rainy season when projects are usually postponed. Interventions
approved encompass centralized procurement of premix amid indications that the Southern and Northern clusters have not yet utilized the bulk of their allocations of premix. It similarly contains alleviating the procurement process for road authorities.

The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works Permanent Secretary – Zvinechimwe Churu, announced an investment indaba would soon be summoned to boost budgets.

“Even with the budget that we have, we are not able to undertake all the road projects in Zimbabwe. With ERRP, we wanted to focus on emergency (road works) but we are realizing that we can’t be so sequential,” he told.

“We must still undertake road developments while we are doing these emergency works.”

From that perspective, a sub-committee bossed by Zinara Chief Executive – Nkosinathi Ncube, has stood up to examine ways of boosting extra reserves.

“We want to go to the market and we have done it before to raise bonds and so forth, to fund other road development projects. Expect an investment indaba very soon.

Whirling to the performance of local authorities in implementing ERRP2 projects, Churu notified some councils, including Kariba were lagging behind.

“We have seen impressive implementation of the programme in Nyaminyami Rural District Council where roads and bridges are being worked on.

“However, Kariba is lagging behind and we wonder why they chose the complicated route to procure materials and engaging a contractor when the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe has agreed to a smoother way.”

For New Africa Business News (NABN) Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports,  Africa Correspondent