Chinhoyi (New Ziana) -The government has assured the Chinese contractor who is building the Chinhoyi Regional Magistrates Court, who has gone for 20 months without being paid, that it will soon pay all the outstanding money.

Judicial Service Commission secretary Walter Chikwana made the assurance to representatives of Hualong Contractor during a briefing with Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka.

The company representatives had revealed that they had not been paid for 20 months.

“Government has set aside $20 million. By the end of this week all the payments will be done. It is going to be actioned with urgency,” said Chikwana.

He said the Ministry of Finance had assured the JSC that the project would be financed to completion.

“I am quite certain that we are going to complete this project before the year’s end. We cannot suspend a project which is 85 percent complete though we have Covid 19 which also needs to be financed.”

Haulong Contractors general manager Mr Zhang said the none payment was affecting their work, which is 85 percent complete.

“We have gone for more than 20 months without being paid. We did not stop working but we are working under difficult conditions,” he said.

Hualong Contractors is from the Chinese province of Gansu, which is twined with Mashonaland West province.

The court which is under construction is a double story building with eight courtrooms, offices for support staff, holding cells, ablution facilities, offices for magistrates, a library and a boardroom.

New Ziana