The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka, Senior Reporter
THE Government has said it will not take chancers in awarding the tender for major road projects as it is seeking serious investors that will deliver, Vice President General (Rtd) Dr Constantino Chiwenga said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the 12th edition of the International Business Conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo, Dr Chiwenga said the Government was now taking a more pragmatic approach to infrastructure development projects
Dr Chiwenga’s remarks come in the wake of the cancellation of the tender which had been awarded Geiger International for the dualisation of Chirundu-Beitbridge road.
“The President made a pronouncement that Chirundu-Harare-Beitbridge Highway has been cancelled. This time around we are not taking any chancers,” he said.
Dr Chiwenga companies who will bid for the tender would be required to provide specific timelines for the completion of the project.
“Whoever is going to get the tender should first give us a timeframe of how long they will take to complete the project,” he said.
He said the same principle would be applied to all other infrastructure development projects countrywide.
“All these roads we want to open up across the county. We have to have time bound projects. The new dispensation will not tolerate ceremonies. There are very costly and time wasting,” he said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced during a recent visit to China that Geiger International’s tender to carry out the Harare-Beitbridge Highway dualisation project had been cancelled because the firm had failed to deliver on time.
Geiger International had forecast that the project would take 18 months to complete.
Dr Chiwenga also spoke on the first 100 days programme saying the Government surpassed its expectations.
“The first 100 day programme ended on 10 April, we are compiling what was achieved and what was not achieved.
“I want to tell you we achieved more than what we expected and everything that was done we did it with the private sector,” he said.
The VP added that the Government was working on cocktail of measures to promote ease of doing business in the country, as a way of enhancing investment.
