MBABANE: Emmanuel Ndlangamandla, the Executive Director of the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations(CANGO) has called for an investigation into the ever escalating costs of the International Convention Centre(ICC) and Five Star Hotel.
This comes after the Times Sunday reported that the ICC that was to cost E370million escalated to E6billion thus digging deeper into the pockets of taxpayers.
Speaking to this Swaziland News, the CANGO Director said as the country was facing a health and education crisis the escalating costs of the ICC would have a negative impact on the economy.
“We are facing a shortage of drugs, petrol and PPEs, these are the results of the country’s debts that come with the construction of the Hotel. Government is expected to channel part of the money from SACU and taxpayers to fund the construction of the Hotel and we need to understand that unlike in the various hospitals where the shortage of working equipment results to the death of the citizens, no one could die if we could suspend pumping money into that hotel” said the CANGO Executive Director.
Ndlangamandla said it was important to launch an investigation to ascertain the reasons behind the ever escalation of construction costs of the ICC.
The Director said it has become a norm for such projects to start with a low capital but ended up digging deeper into the pockets of taxpayers.
International Convention Centre