Maputo — The Mozambican government has extended, once again, the deadline for the completion of the work to rehabilitate the stretch of the main north-south highway between Namacurra and the Ligonha river, in the central province of Zambezia province.

This contract was awarded to a consortium formed by the Portuguese companies Tamega and Conduril. The consortium started the job in mid-2006, and the initial deadline was the end of 2007. But the work is still not finished.

Speaking to AIM, the general director of the National Road Administration (ANE), Eusebio Siquela, said that, after negotiations with the contractor, the two parties agreed that the work should be handed over by 31 December this year. He said that work on some parts of the road is well advanced, but on others it is way behind schedule.

These two companies have run into problems with various state institutions in recent years for failing to meet deadlines for the completion of building work.

Thus the same consortium was awarded the contract to build the bridge over the Lugela river, also in Zambezia. The bridge was handed over a full year later than agreed under the contract.

Conduril was awarded the contract to rehabilitate one of the roads in Maputo municipality. The job should have been completed in August, then the deadline was extended to 17 October, and it is still not ready.

Asked by AIM if these circumstances are not enough to disqualify a company in a tender for state building work, Siquela replied that in fact, since the ill-fated Namarurra-Ligonha river tender, Tamega and Conduril had won no other contracts.

"They can still be accepted as sub-contractors", he said, adding "they are not banned, the idea is to give them an opportunity to organize themselves and do the jobs properly".

He also warned that banning the Portuguese companies might eventually mean losing some investment from the European Union, which is one of the agencies financing the Mozambican government's road programme.

Mm/bm/pf (340) 1431008 BRIDGE OVER THE ZAMBEZI READY BY MAY 2009

Inhaminga (Mozambique), 28 Oct (AIM) - Construction of a new bridge carrying the country's main north-south highway over the Zambezi river, and linking the provinces of Sofala and Zambezia, is set to be complete by late May 2009.

Elias Paulo, the director of the bridge project, told reporters covering the National Youth Meeting in the Sofala district of Cheringoma that 70 per cent of the work has already been done, He was confident that by 31 May it will be completed and ready to be handed over to the government.

The work was twice interrupted because of flooding on the Zambezi in the last two rainy seasons, but Paulo said that the construction teams will be out of the areas prone to flooding by December. Thus, even if there is yet another Zambezi flood, it should not affect the course of the work.

The bridge is budgeted at 78 million Euros (93.6 million US dollars. The Mozambican government is contributing with 13 million Euros, and the remaining amount is covered by aid from three cooperation partners, namely the European Union (25 million euros), Italy (20 million), and Sweden (18 million).

The undertaking is currently employing 400 workers, 71 of whom are foreigners.

The bridge is to be 2.5 kilometres long, 16 metres wide, with two lanes and two side walks for pedestrians.

Meanwhile, Eusebio Siqueela, the general director of the National Road Administration (ANE), has denied reports that the existing bridge over the Zambezi, at Tete city, is in danger of collapse.

Cited in Tuesday's issue of the independent daily "O Pais", Siquela admitted that earlier this month one of the suspension cables holding up the bridge snapped. However, it was repaired, and the situation was "normalized".

The normal situation, however, is far from satisfactory, since only one heavy goods vehicle at a time is allowed on the bridge. Since the bridge is a key link in the road between Zimbabwe and Malawi, this means that long queues of trucks build up on both banks of the river.

Siquela denied claims that the ANE is unable to maintain the bridge. A skilled technical team is permanently stationed at the bridge to deal with any problems. So far this year they have replaced six cables - three of which were removed before they broke.

Siquela said that 30 million US dollars is needed for the complete rehabilitation of the bridge. The money is now available from the Mozambican government, a tender has been launched, and negotiations over the contract are under way.