President Dr. Irfaan Ali convened a meeting at State House early Tuesday morning with cabinet members, contractors, permanent secretaries, and engineers to address the persistent delays in government projects.
The meeting, held at 5:00 a.m., focused on the urgency of completing projects on time. President Ali underscored the importance of staying on schedule, stating, “There is absolutely no excuse for these delays,” while calling for greater discipline and accountability from all parties involved.
During the discussions, it was noted that some delays were due to external factors like inaccessible project sites. Additionally, several contractors, especially in Region Three, indicated they had not yet received the necessary project commencement letters to start their work.
President Ali expressed dissatisfaction with both contractors and project engineers, criticizing what he perceived as a “lack of focus and energy.” He emphasized the significance of maintaining a positive mindset, noting, “There are certain basic things necessary in conditioning your minds to be successful…the first thing is positivity, what time of energy you demonstrate.”
In his address, President Ali stressed that managing deadlines is not solely the responsibility of the ministry’s project engineers; contractors must also be proactive in overseeing timelines and ensuring that their teams remain on track.
He reminded those present of the government’s commitment to meeting community expectations, saying, “We have to face communities out there, and communities have expectations.”
As a result, President Ali issued a firm warning to contractors with outstanding projects, advising them not to bid for new ones until their current work is completed. “If you have projects to be completed, finish them before you bid again because you will find yourself not being able to bid because you will be blacklisted,” he cautioned.
Furthermore, President Ali announced that all projects that were still incomplete by the end of the year would be terminated. He emphasized the necessity of finalizing projects within the current budget cycle to avoid straining next year’s budget, noting, “Everything has an implication, your slothfulness and inability to complete your project has a fiscal implication.”
Since taking office in 2020, the government has invested billions of dollars in large-scale infrastructure projects and urgent community initiatives. President Ali and his cabinet members have visited various communities to address critical infrastructure needs.
Given the scale of investment and the demands of the communities, the President reiterated the critical need to complete projects promptly to prevent delays from obstructing progress and to free up resources for future endeavors.
The President made a prudent decision to convene this meeting to address the delays in infrastructure projects. It has become clear that a few construction entities have been taking advantage of the situation by not completing their allocated projects on time. This issue cannot be solely blamed on one party; accountability must be shared by all parties involved.
Public Works officials play a crucial role in monitoring the progress of these projects, but whether they are effectively fulfilling this responsibility remains a question for the President to determine. Additionally, there are indications that some contractors may be intentionally delaying their work. If this is the case, the government should consider revoking their contracts and ensuring that they are not awarded future projects.
Timely completion of infrastructure projects is essential for the country’s economic development, and all stakeholders must be held accountable for their roles in achieving this goal.