eBusiness Weekly
HARARE – At least 60 percent of funds that the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (Zinara) allocates to local authorities for repair and maintenance of roads goes towards hiring equipment as councils machinery is in a state of disrepair, an official said on Tuesday.
Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe deputy president Tsungai Makore told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing that Zinara should assist local authorities to purchase own equipment to save resources on hiring.
“Equipment that local authorities have is in a sorry state of disrepair. As far as we are concerned, the $28 million that Zinara was availed in the current budget should be allocated to local authorities for purchase of equipment to ensure that they are capacitated to be able to support the contractors as and when they provide services.
“At least 60 percent of the funds allocated to local authorities normally go to equipment hire,” he said.
Makore added: “That is why we are calling for a special allocation of resources to local authorities to ensure that they can equip themselves through some facility either be it duty free concession or other allocation of foreign currency resources to ensure that we are equipped with equipment to ensure that we can effectively service or rehabilitate our roads,” he said.
He said Zinara should however stick to its mandate of managing the road fund and not procure equipment for councils.
“We feel that Zinara should continue to fulfill its mandate as stipulated in the Constitution being a funding unit, instead of purchasing this equipment on our behalf. Local authorities are able to purchase this equipment. Equipment purchased by local authorities will obviously be the equipment which meets the requirements of the respective local authorities,” said Makore.
In 2012, a company called Univern won a tender to supply 40 motorised graders worth $8 million to Zinara but rural district councils complained that they received snow graders instead. – New Ziana