Zinara urges Roads authorities to spend within the...

Zinara urges Roads authorities to spend within their budgets

Oscar J Jeke

ZIM NOW REPORTER

Zimbabwe National Roads Administration has advised authorities to award contracts to bidders within reasonable budgets so as not to spend beyond their allocation.

This was said yesterday at the ongoing workshop in Gerry, for engineers and CEOs of roads authorities, hosted by Zinara, with the Road administrator encouraging the RAs to manage their costs without liability of extra costs that fall below the operations of the organisation.

Zinara Legal Services Manager, Tafadzwa Mazonde, presented on emerging contractual issues between Zinara and the RAs, noting that there are limitations to the operations of the administration that include contract management.

“Zinara is a creature of a statute and as such, there are certain limitations to its operations, which have a bearing on what RAs can as well do. RAs should manage their costs, and Zinara is not liable for any extra cost that can be incurred by the RA, which is outside of its budget allocation,” Mazonde said.

Zinara Technical Director, Engineer Chigonyati also implored on the RAs to clearly define their contracts before execution

“RAs are the ones responsible for managing contracts. Zinara funds are meant for maintenance of gazetted roads, RAs should award contracts within their budgets,” said Eng Chigonyati.

The workshop also heard the issue of road maintenance funds whereby RAs said that Zinara should fund such maintenances and reimburse RAs funds from other sources.

Zinara said its funds are complimentary, and RAs should have other sources to finance the maintenance of vehicles and to do other works.

Zinara also added that it is working on a supplementary budget that will be communicated to Road Authorities by end of July, with the RAs set to receive road equipment by end of year.

The workshop is being attended by Engineers and CEOs from Midlands, Masvingo and Mashonaland West among others.