Low Budget To Affect Infrastructure Rehabilitation Projects

Broken bridge requiring rehabilitation 

Transport and Public Infrastructure programmes would face critical resource challenge this 2015/2016 financial year, there is a meargre allocation to the Ministry of Transport and Public Infrastructure.

Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe announced K901.6 billion budget but transport and public infrastructure ministry has only received K9 billion. 

Transport and Public Infrastructure Committee of Parliament which is scruitnisig the budget predicts great challange in the implementation of some promised critical infrastructure and rehabilitation projects like schools, roads and bridges damaged by this year's floods. 

In an interview the Chairperson for the Committee hon. Victor Mbewe says the committee wants the ministry to have budget allocation of K15 billion for it to fulfil its mandate.

Hon Victor Mbewe

Hon. Mbewe says he committee will push for an upward adjustment to the allocated vote.

Public infrastructure rehabilitation has been one of the government priority this year mainly focusing on the rebuilding of the most affected infrastructure following this years flood. 

“Ministry of transport needs a lot of money its got a lot of projects lined up and new projects as well including the recent floods which devastated our infrastructure which needs rehabilitation”. Said hon. Mbewe

In adequate funding will fail to rehabilitate
Damaged schools 

“Whatever they have allocated to them is not enough they have a lot of challenges and if not enough funds are allocated to them it means their operations will be crippled and we as a committee we would like to make sure that this ministry receive enough money”

Though he said the committee to some degree, understands the rationale behind such allocation which is obviously constraints in the budget, but emphasized that K9 billion is not enough for rehabilitation of stalled projects like Dowa Lumbazi Road Chezi, Nkhufi Msulira Nkhotakota road, Chileka airport rehabilitation, Kamuzu International Airport including other new projects particularly for the aftermonths of floods

“We will continue lobby the treasury to allocate more funds to this ministry to around K15 billion" he said  

He however mentioned that the committee is satisfied with the allocation to Other Recurent Transactions (ORT) for the ministry