Fraudulent Construction Contractors Named
January 14th, 2009South Africa. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) has openly named contractors that it has suspended from its register for fraud, as the organisation took a tough stance on “unscrupulous contractors”.
Established as the construction industry regulator assisting the public sector, the CIDB’s anti-corruption campaign took a hard line in 2008, and it was now suspending fraudulent contractors from its register. This effectively barred corrupt contractors from receiving government tenders for construction.
A list of suspended contractors was published on the CIDB’s website, and a number of successful prosecutions have taken place, as well as fines handed out, said CIDB CEO Ronnie Khoza.
He explained that awarding tenders to contractors that were not capable, or under-qualified for the job undermined the Register of Contractors, which was established as a risk mitigating instrument to assist public sector clients to select capable contractors to deliver public infrastructure.
The risks on project sites, with regard to health and safety standards, and quality control were also important. “People must not be given projects they cannot handle,” reiterated Khoza.
“We have a responsibility to protect the integrity of infrastructure and cannot allow the actions of a few unscrupulous individuals to undermine current achievements in making the register an effective risk management tool,” affirmed Khoza.
Source: Engineering News
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