The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has demanded the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs investigate the excessive delay and negligence in implementing the industrial city project in Al-Kharj.
The project has been delayed for over 12 years due to alleged negligence on the part of the investor, who secured the project contract.
The anti-corruption body asked the ministry to find out the people responsible for this and take action in accordance with the law and inform it about the steps taken by the ministry against the investor following a final warning issued to him more than a year ago.
In another development, the commission recently sought clarification from the Ministry of Health with regard to lapses that took place in the implementation of a hospital project in Rafha in the Northern Border Province.
The anti-graft body’s move came after detection of irregularities as well as delay in execution of a medical tower project at the Maternity and Children’s Hospital costing SR 38.94 million.
The period of implementation of the project was 36 months. Later, changes were made in the project to increase its capacity to 100 beds. Accordingly, the contractor was given an additional period of 523 days to implement the project.
The revised date for completion of the project was April 7, 2012. However, by that time, only 25 percent of the project had been completed, the commission said in a statement.
The commission also noted that despite the delay in implementing the project, orders had been issued to increase the value of the contract, which reached double the initial project cost.
This is in violation of article 36 of the law for bidding and purchases that stipulates that only 10 percent of the actual amount of the contract could be increased.
It was also noted that new clauses for increasing the value of the project were introduced in violation of the norms, the statement pointed out.
The commission to combat corruption was established in May last year with the objective of upholding transparency and fighting financial and administrative fraud in the government.
Probe sought into Al-Kharj project delay
