Chinese embassy defends firm in city row
Dar es Salaam. The Chinese embassy has explained why the firm from China contracted to build a drainage system in Kinondoni Municipality has yet to embark on the work.
The embassy told The Citizen yesterday that the company, Chico, was waiting for structures built in the project area to be demolished.
The statement was issued after some officials of the company were arrested last week on the orders of Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Paul Makonda, who was unhappy with what he said was delay in setting up flood control and storm water drainage systems. The Chico officials were arrested last Thursday and released the following day after spending the night in police custody.
Chico and Kinondoni Municipal Council signed a contract on June 12, 2019, and work was scheduled to commence on June 17, according to the Chinese embassy.
However, the project could not get underway as initially scheduled as no progress has been made in the demolition of buildings and other structures that are supposed to be cleared to pave the way for construction work.
Also, the sites earmarked for retention ponds are currently being used by the contractor building the Ubungo interchange.
“Chico cannot start construction before the Ubungo interchange contractor clears its stockpiled materials and equipment,” the Chinese embassy said. It added that on July 12, 2019 Chico submitted a request for advance payment, which was supposed to be made within 21 days on August 3 in line with the contract.
However, it was not until October 10 and October 18 that advance payment was made, having been delayed by two months.
The contractor has mobilised 20 staff since the end of June and 19 vehicles and construction equipment since mid August 26, with more expected by the end of November.
Reached for comment yesterday, Kinondoni District executive director Aaron Kagurumjuli queried why the contractor had not started working in areas that were not obstructed by buildings and other structures.
“They should at least have started to prepare the site as other decisions were being awaited. They didn’t do that,” he said. Mr Kagurumjuli said, however, that there were a number of challenges, including a river earmarked for dredging passing through a densely populated area.
“There are dozens of houses right on the river’s banks, and this is a particularly tricky problem as far as the proposed work is concerned.”
