A Lusaka based private contractor has appealed to the government to support the growth of the construction industry in the country by giving more contracts to local contractors.
Fabian Watanuka who is managing director of Hadac, a civil engineering construction company, says local construction companies have the potential to make a significant contribution to the growth of the economy if supported by government.
Mr. Watanuka says this can be seen in the high standard of some projects local construction companies have undertaken around the country especially in the education and health sectors.
He made the appeal when the monitoring and evaluation team led by Lusaka province deputy permanent secretary Conrad Tembo visited a clinic being built by Hadac Construction Company in Lusaka’s Chaisa compound.
Mr. Watanuka said the clinic was nearing completion and would be handed over to the government in a few weeks time.
And Lusaka province deputy permanent secretary Conrad Tembo commended the company for completing the project within the stipulated time and standard.
Mr Tembo said government will always support local contractors who deliver quality service.
He said the provincial administration has enhanced the supervision of ongoing development projects in the province to ensure they are completed on time and in accordance with the projected standard.
Earlier, the monitoring team inspected progress on projects at Chelston, Chunga and Chilenje high schools.
The team also visited Chainama College of health sciences, construction of a library at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and a local court in Chilenje.
ZANIS/LN/BMK/MKM/
We want value for money. Giving you contracts is one thing but are you going to do a good job of it?
Not news enough.
spot on #1,do your jobs well and the pipo of zed via GRZ will give you contracts.some companies are paid huge sums for shoddy jobs.if yu have an association,encourage yo members in the construction industry to provide quality services,and believe you me you will always have contracts.
To be honest, the local construction companies in Zambia has been a disaster and a bottom less for Tax payers cash. Ever since the MMD came into power this industry has been taking money year in and year out for the same jobs. E.g they build a road and within a year the road is burst and they come back to it again and even ask for more money. This industry in Zambia is a rat hole pliz stop throwing money into it. We have lost enough. The Only roads standing today like are those built by foreign companies. Just give jobs to SA companies who know the business and lets stop building the same roads year in year out. We need to move forward. This is not promoting local industry. we are spoiling them. Let them raise their stands first and do roads for free that will last then we can trust them
Are donor funded projects or goverment funded?
sp:are they.
Papa J, thats the reason we Zambian remain poor,just beause you are in south Africa doest make them the best Engineers.We have our own locals that can do the work,Contractors such as DOCKLAND CONSTRUCTION, SPENCON, SPANCRETE (ZAMBIA) LTD , NOREMCO CONSTRUCTION LTD have done much civil and structural works and have a proven track records.Its only these curtailed construction copmpnies by public workers that are turnishing the name of the construction business.The solution here is to have transparency tendering procedures not the way you are trying to put up things.Zambia has the best Engineers ,and its people like you that have fustrated them and are now in foreign countries,do your research before you smire the blog with unverifiable truth.
The problem we have right now in zambia is that Construction Jobs are given to wrong chaps you lack sound engineering judgement.The leak is in the tendering procedure,its not that we lack credible people who can do it,No sir!
I agree with GHOST DOG, Zambia has the best engineers, most of us left home to come and work here co’s we were not given tenders to do a good job, here where we are you tender and when you win the tender you are given the job and we do it very well,that’s why some of us have being here long. Its not everyone who is just after money,so i think the Gov’t should start giving tenders to locals who are credible and they will see agood job done.
Zambia has well educated individuals, the problem is that we like to pay our own peanuts, we think that by hiring people fron other countries we look better to the rest of the world, poor project managemnt is another, greed, the list goes on…. The Zambian administration needs to re-evaluate how business is conducted in the country. proper audits should be conducted and those that dont measure up to the expectations of the finance ministry should be held accountable.. Does Zambia have a law on minimun wage?