The government is facilitating the release of funds to the Microprojects Programme to enable it to settle payments owed to contractors and keep community infrastructure projects moving across the country.
The move is expected to support contractors engaged in the construction of small-scale infrastructure while allowing the Programme to continue implementing projects aimed at addressing community needs.
Microprojects Programme Director Sibusiso Mbingo said the government was working to ensure that the necessary funds were made available to the Programme to meet its financial obligations to contractors.
Mbingo said the payment process was important because contractors were responsible for constructing infrastructure that communities rely on to improve access to services and essential facilities.
He explained that the Programme was working through the relevant Government processes to facilitate payments while maintaining the implementation of community development projects.
“The payment process and project implementation are connected, as contractors need to be paid for work undertaken while the Programme must continue planning and implementing projects that respond to community priorities,” Mbingo said.
The Microprojects Programme implements small-scale infrastructure projects in communities across the country, with interventions designed to respond to locally identified needs.
Among the infrastructure delivered through the Programme are footbridges and other community facilities aimed at making it easier for people to access services and reach essential infrastructure.
Mbingo said Government’s facilitation of funds would assist the Programme in addressing its financial commitments to contractors, while also creating room for continued implementation of projects.
He said the Programme remained committed to working with Government and other stakeholders to ensure that the required processes were followed to support both contractor payments and community development.
The Director said resolving the financial requirements associated with contractors was closely linked to the Programme’s ability to continue delivering infrastructure that responds to community priorities.
He said continued support for the payment process would help the Programme proceed with its mandate and maintain the implementation of projects identified for communities.
The Microprojects Programme’s work forms part of the government’s broader community development efforts, which seek to provide infrastructure that addresses challenges experienced by communities in different parts of the country.
Mbingo said the Programme would continue working within Government processes to support the implementation of projects while addressing its financial obligations to contractors.
