RUMONGE August 16th (ABP) – The rehabilitation and widening works of the RN3, Rumonge – Nyanza-Lac section have been delayed by 9 months.
That observation was made on Thursday August 11, 2022 by the Prime Minister, Allain Guillaume Bunyoni during his visit along with the Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Housing and that of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, to see the state of the said works.
The Minister in charge of infrastructure, Déogratias Nsanganiyumwami specified that the total cost of those works which must be carried out within 24 months’ amounts to more than 81 billion Burundian francs, with related works including three markets, paved roads as well as standpipes which will cost more than three billion.
He pointed out that the work has been delayed due to the lack of collaboration between the stakeholders. On this, the head of the Road Agency of Burundi (ARB) indicated that the blocking of the start of the works is linked to the refusal to update the studies and refusal or delay in the approval of the technical files of the project by the agent of the group AECO/COBUCO which provides oversight.
In his speech, the Prime Minister deplored the fact that the activities are already experiencing a delay of 9 months with a dormancy of several machines of the market holder, namely CHICO, at the colossal amount. According to him, the monitoring house should follow and apply the guidelines of the contracting authority instead of imposing itself.
Thus, he recalled that it is through the account of the Burundian government that the payment mechanisms are established by the presentation of an invoice which certifies the work carried out. Finally, the Prime Minister recommended that the stakeholders should sit down together so that, in two weeks, from August 11, the works start.
He also gave recommendations to the AECO/COBUCO, CHICO and ARB groups to come together to first identify the sites not in danger to be rehabilitated pending the updating of studies for sites threatened by climatic hazards, sit together also to validate the updated studies without or with the membership of the monitoring house.
Another recommendation was given to the three departments. The ministry having infrastructure in its attributions and the one in charge of finance are asked to ensure the follow-up of donors and funding as well as other political and diplomatic steps.
The Ministry of the Interior, Community Development and Public Security must ensure that the people affected by the expropriation following the road widening works is compensated in accordance with the updated ministerial order, before the deadline granted.