The construction of the Fort Portal municipal headquarters is yet to resume, a year after the work grounded to a halt. The Construction of the 3.5 billion shillings headquarters hit a snag last year after Fort portal municipality terminated the contract of DECON International, which was contracted to execute the works. DECON was supposed to have completed the first phase of the building last year in April, but they failed to honor the contract. Construction was supposed to resume in five months time after the initial contract was terminated.
However, to date the work has not resumed. The municipal council had set 2015 as the year for completion of the headquarters. At the site located at Upper Boma in Fort Portal Municipality, the place is bushy and overgrown with grass around the uncompleted structure. Some of the construction equipmentand the fence have since been vandalized. Last year, Asaba Ruyonga, the Mayor Fort Portal Municipal council the financial report indicating 600 million shillings was spent on the first phase of the building.
However, the figure was disputed by the councilors saying there was no value for money and called for investigations. Now, Edward Lwanga, the Town Clerk Fort Portal Municipality says they are not sure when the construction work will resume, citing lack of funds. Lwanga says they need more than one billion shillings for the construction to resume. According to Lwanga, this financial year, the central government contributed 100 million shillings for the construction and promised to contribute the same amount each financial year until the construction work is complete.
Lwanga states that 200 million shillings that was raised from local revenue for the construction work, was diverted to pay Value Added Tax (VAT) to Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). He says they are still looking for other avenues to raise the required funds for completion of the headquarters. Some councilors are contemplating moving a motion in the next council meeting to fund-raise for the completion of the building. Gilbert Kayondo, the representative of Kijanju ward says the municipality should have budgeted for construction of the building in the 2013/2014 budget.
He says it will be an embarrassment for the leaders in Fort Portal if by 2015; the building hasn't been completed as promised.
//Cue in:”fundraising is good…
Cue out: “…other avenues for money.”//
Currently, the Municipal Council offices are housed in the dilapidated colonial building at Boma, which was constructed in 1952.
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