We bid, win contracts —Mota-Engil
Portuguese construction and industrial conglomerate Mota-Engil has dismissed accusations that the company is highly favoured by government to the extent that it is given contracts without following normal tendering procedures.
Mota-Engil Malawi said this yesterday in reaction to an allegation Mzimba West member of Parliament (MP) Harry Mkandawire made in the National Assembly on Thursday.
the opening of the Mota-Engil constructed Zomba-Limbe Road
The legislator took to task government, alleging that it awards the company contracts without following tendering procedures.
But in a telephone interview yesterday, Mota-Engil Malawi spokesperson Thomas Chafunya dismissed the allegations.
He added that it was unfortunate that the MP decided to raise the issue in Parliament instead of following up with relevant government agencies.
Chafunya said ever since Mota-Engil started operating in the country in the early 1990s, the company has never done any work without being awarded a contract.
He said: “We submit bids and later get contracts. Since the existence of the company in 1993, we have never had work without contract.”
Chafunya said as a company, Mota-Engil cannot be in a position to comment on what the MP said as he has got all the right to follow up with government.
On Thursday, Mkandawire said government gives Mota-Engil works without tender, a development he said is not painting a good image and shows that the company is highly favoured than the others.
Said the legislator: “I would like the Minister [of Transport and Public Works] to consider explaining to the House as to why Mota-Engil gets contracts without tendering, especially on roads?”
But Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Francis Kasaila denied that his ministry favours the company on behalf of government.
He said: “It is not true that they don’t go through [the tender process]. It is very unfortunate that we can’t have them to defend themselves in the House. But the truth is that they follow all the procedures.”
Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya earlier advised MPs not to raise issues about private organisations or individuals who cannot defend themselves in the House. n
It might as well be true that the company is favored but one thing that is a fact most Malawian Construction companies are quite mediocre they don’t take pride in their work. I live in RSA and i can tell you construction inspectors have no mercy on poor standards and if you cant deliver according to specified spec you will not smell a cent and you will be blacklisted from service providers list,adding to that you will not be allowed to do business with the state again. So the onus is on construction companies to prove they deserve contracts they tender for. Business must be given to us because we are reliable and provide excellent service and its vale for money not because we are the natives of the land, otherwise why do we promote direct foreign investment. There is also the issue of capacity building, i have noted that many road repairers are only armed with a small truck and spades there are no proper tools for them to execute an excellent job. Now that is the problem with those awarding these contracts, stringent measures must be put in place with those who tender for contracts. As i have said most of them barely have the necessities to complete the work. Quite frankly one cannot risk awarding them contracts that require high technical skills, that will be suicidal.