Sports complex Gets k4 billion
The multipurpose indoor sports complex construction project underway in Lilongwe has been allocated K4 billion in the K1.9 trillion 2021/22 National Budget which Minister of Finance Felix Mlusu presented on Friday.
Ministry of Youth and Sports has been allocated K7.3 billion and the indoor sports complex project which China Railway 20 Bureau Group is constructing, is the biggest winner.
In March, President Lazarus Chakwera laid the foundation stone at the site in Area 48 for a facility with a seating capacity of 2 500.
The project, estimated to cost K7.7 billion, is expected to be completed in August this year and Chakwera stressed on the need to complete it on schedule.
Kamuzu Institute for Sports renovation, which got a lion’s share last year, has been allocated K2.5 billion.
The allocation is an improvement from last year’s K1 billion for the facility which is undergoing reconstruction in preparation for hosting the Region 5 Games next year.
The Ministry of Sports last month announced that it intends to award China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation to reconstruct the facility to the tune of K9.4 billion.
Mzuzu Youth Centre also continues getting funding although the project has failed to take off for the past nine years.
In the 2020/21 Budget, the project has been allocated K1 billion.
Ministry of Sports initially awarded Einstein Construction Company to construct the facility at a contract sum of K18 billion.
However, government will now identify a new contractor after stopping Einstein Construction Company, accusing the contractor for allegedly not showing interest in the project.
Meanwhile, Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers will have to wait a bit longer for their stadiums which the previous governing Democratic Progressive Party promised.
For the second consecutive year, government has not allocated funding for the projects.
Government says it has prioritised projects which are urgent, according to Budget documents which we have seen.
“A total of 366 projects were submitted by ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs] for budgetary consideration into the 2021/22 fiscal year budget. Of these, 160 projects were submitted as on-going and 221 as new and pipeline projects.
“Constrained by the 2021/22 budget framework, a total of K 540.81 billion has been allocated to 169 projects under implementation/ new proposed of which K351.24 billion is for part I [external finance] and K189.57 billion is for part II [domestic finance]. Priority has been given to the projects under implementation in order to complete the ongoing projects first before including new ones,” the Budget document reads in part.
The document also shows that 23 new projects have been included.
“However, the twenty three new projects have been considered and proposed for inclusion in the 2021/22 Budget because of their urgency and strategic management. The project allocative decisions have been made through close collaboration with and input from the MDAs,” reads the Budget document further.
