President Irfaan Ali has issued a stern warning to contractors regarding the timely and effective execution of infrastructural projects, emphasizing that failure to meet deadlines could lead to temporary blacklisting. Speaking during a community outreach on Thursday, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to accountability and performance tracking.
“We are taking an approach to government in which we want people to be held accountable,” President Ali stated, noting the importance of performance indicators in measuring the effectiveness of public services. He made it clear that contractors who do not fulfill their obligations will face removal from their positions.
Highlighting specific concerns, President Ali referred to delays in the construction of bridges along a main access road in Region Six, attributing the setbacks to “slothfulness” on the part of the contractors and the supervising engineer. He expressed astonishment that liquidated damages had not yet been imposed despite the evident lack of progress.
As a result, the President instructed the permanent secretary and procurement head to take necessary actions to ensure that defaulting contractors will not be awarded new projects until the current bridges are completed. He also addressed the administrative responsibilities of project engineers, stating that those who fail to comply with management protocols will face repercussions.
“There should be no excuse,” he asserted, stressing that if the government invests in services, those services must be delivered efficiently and on time.
According to the Auditor General’s 2024 Report, capital projects for this year alone amounted to over $646 billion, with significant delays affecting the rollout of these initiatives. President Ali noted that while locally financed public investments show strong performance, challenges remain with projects supported by multilateral and bilateral partners.
To enhance oversight and efficiency, the President announced plans to leverage technology in monitoring projects. “There is no shortcut to this; that is why we want to build a future driven by a technological backbone,” he said. This initiative aims to improve transparency and accountability in the execution of public projects.
The outreach in New Amsterdam is part of the Irfaan Ali administration’s mission to engage directly with communities. The President revealed that Cabinet has decided to operate out of different administrative regions on a monthly basis to conduct outreach activities, providing citizens with an integrated platform to address local issues.
