Government Finds Irregularities in Silo Construction

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Government Finds Irregularities in Silo Construction

8:39 CAT | 08 Apr 2016

TVM

The Mozambican government has detected a series of irregularities in the construction of silos in several provinces, intended to store grain, and guarantee food security.

Speaking on Tuesday at the end of the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), the government spokesperson, Deputy Health Minister Mouzinho Saide, said that irregularities were detected in the hiring of the contractors to build the silos, and of the companies that were supposed to supervise the jobs. There were also anomalies and defects in the quality of the construction work.

Those irregularities, said Saide, led the government to instruct the Ministry of Industry and Trade to hold an audit in order to ascertain who was responsible. The Ministry has also been instructed to present a plan for the management and operation of the silos.

Work on the silos began in 2009, with the intention of allowing for better storage and conservation of grain, and improving the functioning of agricultural markets.

The first phase involved building five silos, with the total capacity to hold 18,000 tonnes of grain, in the provinces of Sofala, Zambezia, Nampula and Niassa. In a second phase, 21 silos, which can hold 21,000 tonnes were build in Tete, Zambezia, Cabo Delgado and Niassa. The third phase was for silos in Manica, Tete, Zambezia and Gaza to hold 18,000 tonnes, but it has not yet been completed.

“The first phase was entirely finished, but there were quality problems”, said Saide. “The second phase was also completed but with problems. It was the third phase that presented the most serious problems”.

Source: AIM