Construction firms to come under intense scrutiny, as Engineering Institute warns quacks

The Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ) is set to strengthen monitoring mechanisms on construction companies to ensure compliance levels.

And the institute has warned of stiffer punishment to erring engineers.

EIZ president Abel N’gandu, has therefore promised to ensure that the principles of quality, acceptable costs and timeous delivery of projects was conducted.

Ng’andu warned that more was being done to ensure erring engineers were being dealt with.

He was responding to a request from Green Economy and Environment Minister Collins Nzovu, to punish erring engineers when the Executive Committee of the EIZ paid a courtesy call on him in Lusaka recently.

“EIZ the institution, which has now started firing on all cylinders having now overcome the initial governance challenges, is willing to strongly partner with the Government to improve service delivery and consultancy services with regards to infrastructure development that will stand the shocks of climate change,” Ng’andu said.

He also said EIZ was set to develop a plan for maintenance and reconstruction of all washed bridges and damaged roads as a result of floods that the country has been experiencing of late.

Speaking earlier, Nzovu challenged the EIZ to show leadership by ensuring that the economic growth of Zambia was anchored on low carbon developments which ensure resource efficiency, biodiversity protection and environmental protection.

He encouraged the institution to ensure that the country corrected bad legacy issues of bad quality, high cost and illegal extensions of timelines for infrastructure projects by Contractors.

The minister called for stiffer punishment for Engineers and Consultants responsible for shoddy works.

Nzovu also said infrastructure that had been designed, supervised and built by engineers has not been spared by the recent flash floods.

He acknowledged that in the last three weeks, Southern and Eastern provinces had been seriously hit by floods causing massive displacement of our people and damage of infrastructure

“For instance, you have heard of bridges being washed away, dams breached, roads being swept away thereby causing accidents, loss of property and lives in some cases,” Nzovu said.

He also regretted that the roads designed and supervised by well-known consultants had failed without any punishment to these Institutions.

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