The Ministry of Finance, through the National Directorate of State Assets, ordered on Tuesday, June 3, the suspension of four tenders related to the hiring of contractors for the construction and rehabilitation of public infrastructure. According to an official document, the decision aims to allow oversight and harmonization of the processes in accordance with the current legislation.
“The government suspects that the contracting processes for some companies involved in public construction and rehabilitation projects may not have followed the established regulations,” adds the statement, as reported by O País.
Specifically, the suspended projects include:
- The rehabilitation and maintenance of National Road No. 301, which connects the city of Tete to the town of Songo over a 50-kilometre stretch, awarded to the company Chico for more than 2.3 billion meticais (USD 35.6 million);
- Emergency repair works on the bridge over the Monapo River along National Road No. 1, between Namialo and Rio Lúrio, awarded to Moza Construções, worth over 563 million meticais (USD 8.7 million);
- Periodic maintenance of 110 kilometres of National Road No. 14, between Metoro and Montepuez, awarded to ERPTZ Construções, for over 217 million meticais (USD 3.3 million);
- Rehabilitation of two road sections — the Ganha Pouco roundabout area (275 meters) and the stretch from Pensão Ponto Final to Avenida Milagre Mabote (1.3 kilometres), both to be paved with interlocking blocks — awarded to Julien Construções for 105 million meticais (USD 1.6 million) and Airtech for almost 7 million meticais (USD 108,000).
“The suspension will allow for the evaluation of the processes and the assessment by the supervisory team in light of points (a) and (c) of paragraph 1, Article 20 of the Public Works Contracting Regulation, approved by Decree No. 79/2022 of December 30,” the statement concludes.
During its latest session, the Council of Ministers also approved the creation of the National Administration for Public Works (ANOP), a new state entity that will be responsible for the management, coordination, and oversight of the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure throughout the country.
The creation of ANOP is part of a broader public administration reform and aims to improve the management of state assets, ensuring greater technical rigor and sustainability in public works investments — many of which are financed by external sources and subject to international audits.
Source: Diário Económico
