RA run by private companies: expert

PRIVATE firms, and not management, call the shots at the Roads Authority, a German expert at the parastatal told a judicial inquiry yesterday.

The RA spends nearly N$1 billion a year on Namibia’s roads. Kicking off the resumption of public hearings into alleged malpractices at the Road Fund Administration (RFA) and RA, Jurgen Oelker said: “This company is run by consultants … It’s a money-making machine “…In one case, Oelker said, the RA had agreed to buy two mobile laboratory units at N$2,4 million for a private contractor working on a road, an expense which should have been borne by the company itself.Oelker, who came from Germany in April 2002 to help improve the RA’s laboratory, yesterday vented his frustration with what he described as the management’s excessive reliance on consultants.He said within two months of joining the parastatal, he submitted a proposal to Chief Executive Officer Justin Runji but was still waiting for a decision – more than a year later.Instead, he said, “they appointed someone to [do] another needs-and-demands study” about the laboratory.He said the mess at the laboratory, supposedly the backbone of the Roads Authority, could have been cleaned up without hiring more consultants.According to Oelker, it would be better to shut down the lab unless improvements were made.”These people don’t want to make any decision because they are afraid to be blamed later on,” Oelker said.The worst, he said, was that the RA management depended entirely on consultants for all the roadworks.The parastatal was set up to administer the country’s road by hiring private companies to build or repair the networks.Asked why he had himself hired a consultant to set up a computerised filing system for the laboratory, Oelker said the job required the services of an expert which the parastatal did not have.Oelker said the company had no means of controlling the consultants because management had shown no interest in strengthening the lab.The laboratory should have been able to closely monitor the work of consulting engineers as well as contractors, but has no capacity to do so.For instance, Oelker said: “The Roads Authority laboratory knows nothing about the construction of the N$180 million Okahandja-Otjiwarongo road.They [consultants] are running their own business.If the road collapses, who is to blame… every lawyer could win the case.Nobody in management can prove the consultants [wrong].We’ve got to believe them”.Testing of material was not done according to set standards and specifications at numerous laboratories, he said.He added that the RA had no means of “doing quality control”.Private companies monitored themselves, leaving room for “cheating”.”They are cheating us every day but we can’t prove that,” he said.”They can’t cheat because they need to get the next contract,” said the inquiry’s Legal Counsel, Otniel Podewiltz, as if playing the Devil’s Advocate.”Ja, ja, (yes, yes)” replied Oelker.But, he maintained that as long as the RA was unable to double-check the work of the consultants and contractors independently the company would remain exposed to losing money.Kicking off the resumption of public hearings into alleged malpractices at the Road Fund Administration (RFA) and RA, Jurgen Oelker said: “This company is run by consultants … It’s a money-making machine “… In one case, Oelker said, the RA had agreed to buy two mobile laboratory units at N$2,4 million for a private contractor working on a road, an expense which should have been borne by the company itself. Oelker, who came from Germany in April 2002 to help improve the RA’s laboratory, yesterday vented his frustration with what he described as the management’s excessive reliance on consultants. He said within two months of joining the parastatal, he submitted a proposal to Chief Executive Officer Justin Runji but was still waiting for a decision – more than a year later. Instead, he said, “they appointed someone to [do] another needs-and-demands study” about the laboratory. He said the mess at the laboratory, supposedly the backbone of the Roads Authority, could have been cleaned up without hiring more consultants. According to Oelker, it would be better to shut down the lab unless improvements were made. “These people don’t want to make any decision because they are afraid to be blamed later on,” Oelker said. The worst, he said, was that the RA management depended entirely on consultants for all the roadworks. The parastatal was set up to administer the country’s road by hiring private companies to build or repair the networks. Asked why he had himself hired a consultant to set up a computerised filing system for the laboratory, Oelker said the job required the services of an expert which the parastatal did not have. Oelker said the company had no means of controlling the consultants because management had shown no interest in strengthening the lab. The laboratory should have been able to closely monitor the work of consulting engineers as well as contractors, but has no capacity to do so. For instance, Oelker said: “The Roads Authority laboratory knows nothing about the construction of the N$180 million Okahandja-Otjiwarongo road. They [consultants] are running their own business. If the road collapses, who is to blame… every lawyer could win the case. Nobody in management can prove the consultants [wrong]. We’ve got to believe them”. Testing of material was not done according to set standards and specifications at numerous laboratories, he said. He added that the RA had no means of “doing quality control”. Private companies monitored themselves, leaving room for “cheating”. “They are cheating us every day but we can’t prove that,” he said. “They can’t cheat because they need to get the next contract,” said the inquiry’s Legal Counsel, Otniel Podewiltz, as if playing the Devil’s Advocate. “Ja, ja, (yes, yes)” replied Oelker. But, he maintained that as long as the RA was unable to double-check the work of the consultants and contractors independently the company would remain exposed to losing money.