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Mkhululi Ncube, Chronicle Reporter
THE Minister of Local Government and Public Works July Moyo has called for the speedy disbursement of funds and better co-ordination between Government ministries involved in the construction of Government projects in Lupane.

Officials have since been given up to Friday to come up with a position paper to be tabled in Cabinet next week on how best to speed up construction of the projects.

Lupane is the provincial capital for Matabeleland North province and several projects which include the Lupane Provincial Hospital, Welshman Mabhena Government Complex formerly Elitsheni, Lupane magistrate courts and houses for Government employees are at different stages of completion.

Some of the projects have been going on for years but the coming in of the New Dispensation has seen more resources being availed to complete the projects.

Minister Moyo yesterday toured the projects accompanied by Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Richard Moyo and the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro.

During the tour it was noted that some of the delays in finishing the projects are caused by bureaucracy within Government departments.

“In some cases, it is not lack of funding but how the processing of that funding is done by several agencies from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to the sponsoring ministries like the Ministry of Health and Child Care and Local Government and Public works. It is a long process and we need to find ways of making sure that monies move very fast so that contractors do not run out of money. That is making it very difficult for us to complete the projects,” said Minister Moyo.

He said President Mnangagwa has urged ministries to prioritise completion of projects.

“Let us come up with a priority list of projects so that we know which projects to complete first.

If you finish the hospital and there are no houses for nurses and doctors that hospital will be a white elephant. That is what we should guard against. The magistrates courts will be finished around August but am not sure whether there are houses for magistrates and prosecutors,” he said.

Minister Moyo however, said he was impressed with the work being done at Lupane Magistrates Courts where construction is now at 70 percent.

Delay in completing the Welshman Mabhena Government Complex has delayed the movement of Matabeleland North province’s civil servants who are servicing the province from Bulawayo.

The Deputy Minister Dr John Magwiro expressed concern over the slow pace of construction of the provincial hospital due to late disbursement of funds. — @Themkhust.