A-G'S REPORT: RIVER OF LIFE PROJECT DELAYED BEYOND SCHEDULED COMPLETION THIS YEAR

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Bernama) -- The River of Life (RoL) project, launched in 2010 with an allocated budget of RM4.363 billion, will not be completed within the stipulated period this year, despite a total expenditure of RM3.915 billion, as reported in the Auditor-General's Report (LKAN) 2/2024.

According to the report, as of July last year, eight RoL projects were still being implemented, with progress on site ranging from 21 to 97.3 per cent, and a contractor has not been appointed for two projects, after the previous contracts were terminated, while another 12 projects were still at the pre-implementation stage.

The audit analysis revealed that only 79.4 per cent of river beautification work had been completed, and 50 out of 296 sewage treatment plants (16.9 per cent) had been rationalised or upgraded successfully.

“The analysis indicates significant project delays, extending over eight years, leading to increased costs for the government,” said the report.

RoL, initiated under the Economic Transformation Programme in 2010, aims to rejuvenate Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang into vibrant and sustainable waterfronts, with high economic value.

The RoL project covers 110 kilometres of the Sungai Klang and is expected to be completed in 2024.

The audit highlighted that several RoL objectives remain unmet, including improving river water quality, attributed to weaknesses in project planning, implementation, low awareness of river care, and effluent compliance.

“The government's target, to generate returns of up to RM4 billion from land sales, to finance RoL implementation costs and avoid using public funds, has not been achieved, due to land ownership issues,” the report said.

Furthermore, the audit revealed that the non-comprehensive business model has led to RoL's maintenance and activities relying solely on government allocations. Consequently, RoL assets are inadequately maintained, idle, damaged, and underutilised.

As of November last year, the audit found that out of 835 river cleaning assets, 147 were non-operational, with 80 damaged and 67 demolished and unusable.

Maintenance and inspection reports revealed that mechanical and electrical problems, cable theft and electricity supply issues were among the causes of damage to the river cleaning assets.

Audit analysis showed that repair periods for 10 assets ranged from three months to four years and three months, while repairs for the remaining 11 damaged assets have not yet been initiated.

The audit also identified weaknesses in project management, including deficiencies in planning, expenditure monitoring, design preparation, consultant appointment, and project implementation.

As a result, the report recommends, among other measures, that the Federal Territories Department (JWP) reassess projects still in the pre-implementation stage to determine their viability, considering financial allocations.

JWP, in collaboration with all implementing agencies, should promptly enhance the current RoL business model comprehensively, to address maintenance issues and ensure that damaged and idle assets are effectively managed.

-- BERNAMA