The Royal Audit Authority’s latest annual report reveals persistent quality issues in public construction, with 139 cases of poor work recorded during the 2023-2024 financial year. Despite follow-ups, only 91 of these cases were resolved, spanning 62 projects. The report urges the government and agencies to enforce stricter measures to curb substandard practices and safeguard public investments.
According to the report, quality issues continue in public works, with agencies often accepting substandard materials and defective work.
The report states that this is despite the existence of the National Construction Industry Policy 2020. The policy outlines quality improvement of construction works as one of its objectives.
The report highlights that the problems are partly due to poor planning, improper designs and lack of quality control. Insufficient monitoring and contractors failing to address defects during the liability period are also attributed to poor construction quality.
The report recommends the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport to evaluate and review the implementation of the National Construction Industry Policy 2020 to address gaps in implementation by executing agencies.
In addition, it recommends agencies to take immediate measures to curb undesirable practices that compromise the quality of construction. These include enforcing stronger quality controls, keeping evidence or records of work through photos and videos, and using CCTVs at construction sites for better monitoring and supervision.
The report mentions that the quality issues in public construction reduce the value of public investments and lead to socio-economic impacts.
Sangay Chozom
Edited by Sonam Pem
