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CoST calls for transparency in construction industry

 

Amid allegations of corruption dogging the construction industry, the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) has called for more voices in the sector to enhance transparency and accountability.

CoST chairperson Joe Ching’ani said on Tuesday in Mzuzu that citizens deserve to know why some construction projects have delayed; hence, the need to promote disclosure of information to justify certain scenarios.

Construction industry is said to be prone to corruption
Construction industry is said to be prone to corruption

“There is need to put in the open all the processes, payments and all transactions associated with projects,” he said on the sidelines of a one-day media sensitisation training.

Ching’ani said the media and civil society need to be equipped with accurate information about the construction sector to help in curbing corrupt tendencies.

CoST aims at increasing transparency and accountability in the construction industry.

On her part, National Construction Industry Council of Malawi (NCIC) chief executive officer Hilda Phiri noted that the construction industry is prone to corruption.

“Although Malawi has not conducted any studies regarding the same, corruption exist in the industry; that is why we see substandard and fictitious projects,” she said.

Phiri, therefore, said NCIC, through CoST, aims at dealing with mismanagement of funds in project management and implementation.

She said there is need to closely follow up public infrastructure projects to ascertain how effective the funds have been used as government spends 30 percent of its annual budget on construction projects.

Phiri said 75 percent of companies involved in Cashgate were from the construction industry.

Malawi started implementing the CoST initiative in 2008 as a pilot project which involved eight countries. n

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