ADJUMANI May 23, 2024 – Government has secured additional funding worth over Shs 1.5 billion from the Saudi Fund for Development [SFD] for the completion of the Amelo Technical Institute in Adjumani district whose construction has stalled for more than 10 years.
According to the contract document, the additional funding is expected to complete the institute’s administration block at a cost of Shs 213,649,900, welding and metal fabrication workshop at the cost of Shs 303,539,000, blockwork and others valued at Shs 59,512,000, student’s dormitory at Shs 124,923,900, and a kitchen at the value of Shs 29,960,300.
Other works are the principal’s house at Shs 68,238,400, the pump house at Shs 6,296,300, toilets at Shs 39,662,800, and external works at the cost of Shs 345,471,000.
The Minister of State for Primary Education Dr. Joyce Moriku blamed the first two contractors from Egypt and China, respectively for failing to complete the project as expected.
However, she disclosed that phase II of the project would provide additional facilities including a girls’ dormitory, a multi-purpose hall, 8 units of teaching staff houses, 6 units of nonteaching staff houses, training workshops for 2 more courses, a sickbay, and external works.
Explaining the delayed implementation of the project
Dr. Safina Kisu Museene a Commissioner in the Ministry of Education and Sports explained that EGY Trading and Engineering Projects Ltd, an Egyptian company had its US$ 1.7 million terminated in 2018 after it only delivered 80 percent of the project, four years after it was awarded the contract.
She added that after consultations, SFD and Ministry of Education and Sports agreed to get another contractor, and a Chinese firm MS COMPLANT Engineering Company in December 2019 was contracted to complete all outstanding works at four incomplete sites of Amelo, Bukedea, Lyantonde, and Bukomero technical institutes at Shs 5.5bln but the company was unable to do so due to Covid-19 outbreak, only managing to deliver 40 percent of the assigned work.
Resurrecting the project
However, further consultations in June 2022, led to the engagement local medium-sized firms to complete the outstanding works at Amelo Technical Institute site, although the Solicitor General cleared the process in January 2024.
The final contract was awarded on April 16, 2024, to local company MS Hotel ZAWADI Ltd for a VAT-inclusive sum of Shs 1,591,352,519. The company is expected to deliver work by November 20, 2024.
The Adjumani district Woman Member of Parliament, Jesca Ababiku called upon the people in Adjumani to have trust in the government, saying the project will be delivered despite the delay.
She called for the monitoring of the project to avoid shoddy works. “There is a need for monitoring and supervision of the project,” Ababiku said.
https://thecooperator.news/parliament-to-consider-bill-on-human-assisted-reproductive-technology/
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