By Abdulateef Bamgbose
Minister of Works and Housings, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has called for the intervention of the Bureau for public Enterprise ( BPE), in the implementation of the 2023 Budget.
He made the call during the Budget defense of the of the ministry of works and Housing before the senate Committee on Works and Housings,
Saying that ” Insufficient budgetary provisions which is self evidence in what you have seen and heard is the biggest challenge facing the Ministry of works and Housing”
While expressing concerned over the the short fall in 2023 apporpration for the ministry of Works and Housings, he disclosed that ” 2022 apporpration the ministry got N441billion as against the N146 billion for 2023″
According to the minister ” The President has signed the Executive Order 11 which is to deepen our commitment to maintenance of public buildings and I hope that the private sector will embrace this ”
Continued he said that ” the Ministry intend to keep the implementation of this Executive Order at the forefront. Over the years this Executive Order will create so many businesses as many are registering as facility management contractors ”
” Their engagement is triggering supply in consumables, which is also helping the market of local manufacturer ”
While urging the lawmakers to amend the procurement Act. as a result of global challenges and inflationary trend in the cost of materials, the minister urged the public private partnership ( PPP” to step in”
Fashola urged the Senate to create an enabling environment for the PPP to operate and do a wholesome review in order to enable Ministry, Department and Agencies ( MDAs), to adjust their procurement as according to him ” so that contractors do not leave sites as a result of piece meal variations of contracts ”
” The BPE can lead this process and look at the major items that impacted . We may not be able to provide for everything, but clearly, even if we have variations of prices you cannot shift Diesel price from 250 to over N800. That is a totally different contract “
