mary c nkosi : mzuzu branch project site handover and pre - contract meeting speech by mrs mary c nkosi, deputy governor of the reserve bank of malawi, at the mzuzu branch project site handover and pre - contract meeting, mzuzu, 2 august 2010. * * * the team leader of the consortium ( represented by mr. davie chidyaonga ) and other members of the consortium director of administration, and members from rbm the project coordinator, mr morrison sulumba the management of sr nicholas limited led by mr g bizzarro all present i am greatly honoured to be here this morning to deliver the expectations of the governor, myself and the entire bank. my presence here is proof of the importance the bank places on this project which goes beyond the building. the bank ’ s presence in mzuzu will complement development in the city of mzuzu and the northern region as a whole. let me start by first of all congratulating the contractor, sr nicholas limited, for successfully going through the evaluation process and being awarded this prestigious contract. the competition was tough and therefore this is no mean achievement. at this juncture, let me place on record my gratitude the chairperson and the entire internal procurement committee of the bank for a job well done during the tendering process. we know that the award criteria for this contract went beyond the usual price consideration. it mainly considered the capacity to deliver a quality product within the specified period of 24 months. therefore, issues of experience in projects of a similar nature and magnitude, current commitments and track record of good performance played a bigger role. it is with this in mind that i want to appeal to the successful contractor, sr nicholas limited, and all other sub contractors involved in the construction of phase ii that the bank expects nothing less than a quality building that will be an icon and a centre of public attraction in the city of mzuzu and will stand the test of time. in this regard, you will be expected to adhere fully to all building standards and specifications. this entails applying world class working methods and use of certified materials throughout the project life. to the team leader and indeed the nddc consortium, i would like to say the journey continues. you did a good job in phase i. however, the small problems that surfaced here and there should be considered lessons for phase ii. the consortium is expected to provide optimum supervision throughout the project life and ensure that all individual consultants in the team

, you have been on the project from 2006. i have every reason to believe that all details, drawings, and necessary information for the contractor to start construction are available. to the management of sr nicholas limited, this is another challenge and our expectations are that 24 months from the contract commencement we shall all be here, receiving a quality product. i have also been informed that the electrical subcontract has not been concluded yet. i would like to assure you that by the time the main contractor goes on site ; the electrical subcontractor will have been procured. we are working round the clock to conclude the matter. the construction period of 24 months is ambitious but achievable as has been seen elsewhere. the bank wishes to call upon each of you to join hands as partners in completing the project on time. we therefore request you, as usual, to come up with a buildable programme that will include all operations to ensure a successful conclusion and delivery of the mzuzu branch offices. on behalf of the governor of the reserve bank of malawi, i welcome you all to this precontract meeting and look forward to an exciting journey ahead of us culminating in the successful completion of the project. with these few remarks i declare the site handed over to the contractor ; sr nicholas. i thank you for your attention and may god bless us all.