Audit Flags Over D1.2 Billion in Payments and Delays in Sankandi-Karantaba Road Project
Kiang West Road project
By Fatou Sillah
The 2023 Auditor General’s Report has raised major concerns over the management of the Sankandi-Karantaba Road Project, citing prolonged delays, unclear allocation of payments, and weaknesses in contract oversight.
The project, implemented in two phases, has significantly overrun its original timelines. Phase One, covering 39 kilometers, was expected to be completed within 12 months but had already stretched to 46 months at the time of the audit. Similarly, Phase Two, spanning 48 kilometers, was scheduled for 16 months but had extended to 43 months.
The total value of both contracts stands at D1,207,600,882.15. According to the Auditor General, the prolonged delays risk inflating costs and undermining the National Roads Authority’s (NRA) budget performance.
“The prolonged delays in completing both road projects raised concerns regarding contract management efficiency, value for money, and project oversight,” the audit report stated.
In response, management attributed the delays to a combination of operational and logistical challenges.
“The project was scheduled for completion on 30th December 2023, marking the 28th calendar month of construction and supervision. However, several factors contributed to delays, including: delayed payment of IPCs; late verification of quarries for laterite extraction; inadequate earthmoving equipment on site; late deployment of concrete teams for drainage and structural works; shortages of basalt and cement during different stages of construction; insufficient supply of bitumen; and disruptions caused by the rainy season,” the management response stated.
On the financial side, the report highlighted that numerous interim payment certificates submitted by GAI Enterprises, the contractor, were approved by the project consultant. However, auditors could not determine with certainty whether these payments applied to Phase One or Phase Two, as the documentation failed to clearly separate or allocate the amounts.
“However, the audit could not determine with certainty which phase (Phase 1 or Phase 2) the approved payments related to, as the documentation did not clearly distinguish or allocate the amounts to a specific phase of the project,” the report says.
Some of the approved certificates included payments of D67.8 million, D80 million, D107 million, D106.9 million, D60.8 million, and D78.4 million, totaling D501.1 million.
The report recommended that the NRA management reconcile all disbursements between the two phases and provide full documentation of the interim payment certificates. It also urged management to explain why the project has been subject to such extensive delays despite its initial completion deadline of December 30, 2023.