Northern Bypass contractor summoned
Feb 01, 2007
THE Chief Executive Officer of Salini, the main construction company for the Northern Bypass is expected in the country within two weeks to discuss the delayed completion of the road, works minister John Nasasira has said.
By John Odyek
THE Chief Executive Officer of Salini, the main construction company for the Northern Bypass is expected in the country within two weeks to discuss the delayed completion of the road, works minister John Nasasira has said.
Nasasira told journalists on Tuesday that the Government had failed to reach an agreement with the local managers of Salini, an Italian construction company.
“The contractor is not putting enough resources into the project. The issue is not a shortage of money, but they are slow. They have to finish the road by August,†he said. The road is supposed to be ready in November.
The bypass is the ring way around Kampala aimed at decongesting the city centre by diverting heavy traffic around it.
Salini won the tender to construct the bypass in 2004. The EU is contributing 41m euros (sh90b) towards the motorway.
It agreed to pay an extra 5 million euro (sh11b), for additional works. But it refused to meet the contractor’s latest financial claims, amounting to $5.5m (sh10b).
The Government has also refused requests for additional funding by the company.
Some MPs have blamed the delays to complete the project on Salini, which subcontracted the work to two other companies, Spencon Services and Stirling Civil Engineering Services.
However, the Government said the contract allowed Salini to subcontract.
THE Chief Executive Officer of Salini, the main construction company for the Northern Bypass is expected in the country within two weeks to discuss the delayed completion of the road, works minister John Nasasira has said.
Nasasira told journalists on Tuesday that the Government had failed to reach an agreement with the local managers of Salini, an Italian construction company.
“The contractor is not putting enough resources into the project. The issue is not a shortage of money, but they are slow. They have to finish the road by August,†he said. The road is supposed to be ready in November.
The bypass is the ring way around Kampala aimed at decongesting the city centre by diverting heavy traffic around it.
Salini won the tender to construct the bypass in 2004. The EU is contributing 41m euros (sh90b) towards the motorway.
It agreed to pay an extra 5 million euro (sh11b), for additional works. But it refused to meet the contractor’s latest financial claims, amounting to $5.5m (sh10b).
The Government has also refused requests for additional funding by the company.
Some MPs have blamed the delays to complete the project on Salini, which subcontracted the work to two other companies, Spencon Services and Stirling Civil Engineering Services.
However, the Government said the contract allowed Salini to subcontract.