The debate on the quality of public works is already ‘white-bearded’, because over the years there have been no improvements in the quality of public infrastructures, with the main players exchanging accusations.
As a matter of fact, on the subject of accusations, in 2020, DE reported in an article that nobody wanted to take responsibility for the poor quality of public works in the country. At the time, the contractors blamed the companies not affiliated to the Mozambican Federation of Contractors, while the Mozambican Engineering Laboratory (LEM) blamed the construction companies.
On the other hand, the inspectors accused the infrastructure owners of wanting to save money by forcing the builders to use unsuitable materials.
In the midst of this war of accusations, the executive director of the construction company Mota-Engil, Paulo Perreira, said on Tuesday 27 August: ‘I note, with great regret, that the state’s public investment is being applied to companies that don’t have the skills to build. I’m not bad-mouthing them, I’m stating a fact’.
Paulo Perreira – CEO Mota-Engil
Explaining his position during the panel on ‘The Contribution of European Companies to Sustainable Urban Development in Mozambique: Challenges and Opportunities for Urbanisation in the Country’, at the Maputo International Fair (FACIM), he pointed out that ‘an example of this is the connection we have with the National Roads Administration (ANE), because there are contracts that were signed with some companies that, after two years, we [Mota-Engil] had to do the proper rehabilitation of the roads made by those construction companies. It’s not good, because it harms the state.
That’s not the principle of companies. Serious construction companies have to be paid for what they do, but they also have to do their job well and take responsibility until the end.’
I realise, and with great regret, that the state’s public investment is going to companies that don’t have the skills to build.I’m not bad-mouthing them, I’m stating a fact
Paulo Perreira
To improve public infrastructures, the CEO of Mota-Engil proposed the implementation of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. ‘PPPs are an instrument that, worldwide, has helped many countries develop their infrastructures.
This means that financing programmes and projects can be taken on by the companies, without the state having to put up any financial resources, thus leaving these responsibilities to the construction companies in a logic of concession. We know that the country has its difficulties and, of course, it needs infrastructure and we need to create mechanisms to make it happen,’ he emphasised.
The need for urban planning
Carlos Serra, coordinator of the drafting of the National Urbanisation Policy, said that a technical group held the second urban forum in 2022, which resulted in the decision to move forward with an urbanisation policy in the country.
‘I also wanted to put into context that, until now, we didn’t have a legal policy framework on urbanisation.
There are good experiences, but there is also a reality on the ground that the diagnosis of the policy has made it possible to reveal and show,’ he said.
Carlos Serra
The source explained that ‘our towns and cities are growing, often unplanned. When there are plans, they are not implemented, so we are the ones making the cities, and I think we can see that. A small example of this can be seen when you look at a road that has to have a partial protection zone, and you realise that it is extremely difficult to ensure that this zone is not occupied.’
PPPs are an instrument that has helped many countries worldwide to develop their infrastructures.This means that funding programmes and projects can be taken on by the companies, without the state having to put up any financial resources, thus leaving these responsibilities to the construction companies in a logic of concession.We know that the country has its difficulties, naturally it needs infrastructure and we need to create mechanisms to make it happen
Paulo Perreira
Carlos Serra, who is also an environmental activist, said that the new policy was launched more intensively in April last year.
‘This policy has a technical team that includes specialists from various sectors of activity, academia and also co-operation partners. As such, the policy was also made possible thanks to the support provided by the United Nations Urban Development Programme (UN-Habitat), the GIZ Programme in Mozambique and the World Bank,’ he said.
Challenges of urbanisation in the country
For his part, and on the same occasion, the representative of the Order of Architects, Augusto Ferro, spoke about the challenges of urbanisation and sustainability, explaining: ‘there is a growing prospect of an urban population in the country, with projections pointing to around 3.2% annual growth in relation to the rural population’.
Augusto Ferro
‘One of the great challenges is access to infrastructure, basic services such as transport, housing, solid waste collection, water and sanitation. These challenges are not only of a technical nature, but also of a social and financial nature,’ he emphasised.
Nário Sixpene
