BY: MARVIN CATO | HGP NIGHTLY NEWS|
President Irfaan Ali, during Thursday’s Cabinet outreach in Region Six, delivered a stern warning to contractors and supervising engineers over sluggish work on key infrastructural projects—making it clear that non-performance will no longer be tolerated.
“If they cannot perform the service they are paid to do, then they will have to be removed from such service. There is no shortcut,” the President told residents as he addressed mounting frustrations over long-delayed works.
Slothful Bridge Works Trigger Presidential Intervention
The Government has awarded several contracts for the construction of bridges along the main public road, but according to President Ali, the pace of work has been unacceptably slow. He chastised both the contractors and the engineers supervising the projects for what he described as glaring underperformance.
Performance Indicators Must Be Enforced — President
President Ali said performance indicators must not exist only “on paper,” but must be actively used to measure the output of those paid to deliver essential public services.
“I am astonished that liquidated damages have not yet been applied,” he stated, pointing to penalties that should already have been enforced for delays.
No Terminations — For Now
While highlighting repeated failures, the President stopped short of direct termination orders. Instead, he instructed that:
- Contractors should not be awarded new projects until all outstanding bridge works are completed.
- The Permanent Secretary and the Procurement Head must “drop the hammer” on engineers who fail to do their job.
“They cannot be excuses,” President Ali stressed.
“We Pay for Services — They Must Be Delivered”
The President emphasized that taxpayers deserve efficient work and that the government will not continue paying for subpar performance.
“We pay for services from the government, and those services must be delivered efficiently,” he said.
The Cabinet outreach continues in Region Six.
