President Lazarus Chakwera has given government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) up to August 31 2022 to provide information on the progress of infrastructure projects under their offices or face unspecified consequences.

Speaking at Madisi in Dowa on Tuesday when he launched rehabilitation works for sections of the M1 between Lumbadzi and Chiweta, the President, in a highly-charged tone, expressed disappointment with the lack of accountability on the progress of projects implemented by public institutions contrary to the requirements of the law and other guidelines. 

Chakwera alights from a tractor after breaking ground
for the M1 rehabilitation project

He cited Section 57(3) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) Act, which stipulates that all procuring entities carrying out “procurement for works or consultancy services in the construction industry shall disclose all material project information and shall comply with the principles of transparency and accountability at all stages of the project life cycle”.

Chakwera further said Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) Malawi has an online portal known as Information Platform for Public Infrastructure (Ippi), where MDAs are expected to upload information about the progress of public works but which is not happening.

He said: “Malawians deserve to see and hear how the projects we are implementing across the country are progressing. My desire for transparency is the reason why in April last year, I accepted to be inducted as National Champion for CoST.

“I am calling on all ministries, departments and agencies that are managing infrastructure projects to make sure that their projects are uploaded on the Ippi platform by 31st August, 2022. The consequences for failing to do that will be dire and immediate.”

As ofon Tuesday, the Ippi website showed that out of at least 90 MDAs expected to upload information, only 11 had done so and these included Department of Buildings, Lilongwe Water Board, Roads Authority, Northern Region Water Board, Dedza District Council, Mchinji District Council, Kasungu Municipality, Mchinji, Ntcheu, Mulanje, Dedza and Chikwawa district councils as well as Kasungu Municipality and Zomba City Council.

CoST Malawi national coordinator Lyford Gideon, in an interview, confirmed that compliance rate among MDAs to provide information to the platform was at less than 10 percent.

He said he hopes the President’s word will improve matters.

Interestingly, one of the most compliant institutions is the Roads Authority (RA) which has already made information available on the portal on the newly commissioned rehabilitation works for the M1.

In November 2019, the Malawi Government and the European Union (EU) signed a financial agreement for 139 million euro as contribution towards the rehabilitation of the M1. Of the amount, 95.5 million euro was a loan from European Investment Bank and 43.1 million euro was a grant from the EU.

The rehabilitation exercise has targeted some sections of the M1 extending over 301 kilometres from Kamuzu International Airport Turn-off in Lilongwe to Chiweta in Rumphi and each of the sections has been allocated to a different contractor.

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