Probe into abandoned project, Minister directs

GEITA: THE Deputy Minister for Water, Eng Kundo Mathew, has ordered investigations and appropriate action against Peritus Exim Private Limited, the contractor awarded the Chato District sewerage project, following allegations that it abandoned the work.

The project, valued at 1.59bn/- was scheduled for completion within 18 months, starting on June 22, 2023 and ending on September 12, 2024. However, it has failed to meet the deadline.

The deputy minister made the remarks recently during an inspection of a wastewater treatment pond in Chato town, where construction has stalled and falls short of contract specifications.

He noted that despite the contractor having received over 800m/-, the work completed is substandard, the project remains unfinished and the contractor is currently absent from the site.

“To date, the contractor is not on site, the project is incomplete and the work is below standard. This contractor, and others like him, must pay compensation for delaying the project,” he said.

Eng Kundo directed the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water to carry out an assessment of all projects being implemented by this contractor under the ministry.

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He added that, apart from the Chato sewerage project, the contractor has failed to complete other water projects to the required standards and within the agreed timeframe in Tabora and Igunga towns.

“This contractor’s time is up. We are going to bar him from undertaking any water projects in Tanzania. We cannot tolerate contractors of this kind. We are going to show him the way out because this money belongs to Tanzanian taxpayers. We must see value for money in these projects,” he stressed.

Chato District Council Chairman, Mr Batromeo Manunga said that in addition to constructing the wastewater pond, the contractor was also required to supply two sewerage trucks, which have not been delivered.

“Chato is now suffering because wastewater is spreading across our town. We therefore need assurance that the wastewater can at least be collected and disposed of at the designated sewerage site,” he said.