We have gone through the contract document which the government through the Roads Authority (RA) and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation signed for the construction of the six lane Kenyatta Road project in Lilongwe. The revelations of plunder of public resources contained in the contract document are heartbreaking, Malawians will be ripped off their hard earned taxes!
1. The total project cost, on paper, is K19 billion. But there are projects within the project through which close to K10 billion will be stolen.
2. The Roads Authority valued the relocation of water pipes at K200 million. Government and Lilongwe Water Board are pricing the relocation of water pipes alone at K5.2 billion. That means K5 billion of public funds to be siphoned.
3. The Roads Authority valued the work of relocating electricity cables at K100 million. Government and Escom have now started claiming they need K2.5 billion. Another scheme to siphon K2.4 billion of public funds.
5. The works (moving the pipes and telecom and electricity wires was already a component within the project works totalled at K19 billion. These parallel schemes have created projects within a project through which officials will steal close to K10 billion.
6. To perfect the theft, the same company, China Civil Engineering, that was awarded the work to construct the road (at a bid price of K19 billion) has been awarded the other alternative contracts.