Government is concerned about the low participation of local contractors in the executing of high value infrastructure projects in the country.
Muchinga province Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe said this when he officiated at the four- day training workshop for small and medium scale contractors in the province under the National Council for construction (NCC) held in Chinsali.
ZANIS reports that Mr Nundwe attributed the low participation levels of small and medium scale contractors to lack of appropriate skills and technical knowledge.
He said it was for this reason that the government had provided an avenue through the NCC to build capacity for the local construction industry.
Mr Nundwe said although government valued the contribution of foreign contractors in the construction industry, it was also aware that one day they will not be there.
Mr Nundwe said it was therefore imperative that Zambian contractors position themselves and take over at an opportune time as there is no country worldwide that has been entirely developed by foreigners.
He said as much as the country needed the support from foreigners, Zambians must spearhead the development agenda of the country.
The workshop attracted participates from Muchinga, Northern and Copperbelt Provinces.
The topics expected to be covered during the workshop include contract law, preparation of responsive bids, corruption and the construction industry, introduction to green building technology, workers compensation and financial literacy.
Local contractors are shunned in preference to Chinese ones who can dish out $200,000 to Lungu’s handlers just to secure an appointment with him. Which Zambian contractor can do that?
IWE NUNDWE AND YOUR PRINCIPALS, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING: ThisN0nsense of foreign contractors taking an upper hand in our booming infrastructure sector CAN NEVER HAPPEN IN SOUTH AFRICA, because SA’S GOVERNMENT IS SERIOUS ABOUT LOCALS OWNING THEIR ECONOMY. If you’re a foreign company operating in SA bwana you MUST have SA shareholders WITH FINANCIAL POWERS in the company. The same should happen in Zambia, coz it should be MANDATORY for Owners and shareholders of construction companies TO EMPLOY AND TRAIN LOCALS, especially fresh graduates from colleges and universities. These are the people who would then grow into OWNING THEIR OWN COMPANIES. IT’S GOVERNMENT THAT IS KILLING LOCAL CONTRACTORS and also KILLING THEIR ABILITY TO PROPERLY EDUCATE AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES, SO BLAME IT…
In South Africa (although there is Xenophobia now), there is a deliberate policy to “favour” local contractors when tendering. There is a Policy coined as “Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE)”. This is not the same as CEE in Zambia. There, it containes clauses that regardless of whether the black contractor has no so called adequate capacity, they will still be awarded a contract when they tender with some one without the requisite BBBEE credentials. Here in Zambia all contractors are subjected to the same conditions regardless of the grade of works being tendered for. How do you explain a situation where a tender for grade 5 and 6 contractors contains the same pre-requisites, with all qualification documents the same as for a tender for grade 1 and 2 contractor? Its not…
We had a local contractor come to do some bridges and culverts he was paid millions…he arrived with 5 wheelbarrows and 6 shovels. He did the job and as soon as the first rains fell everything washed away………… of course he was never seen again…
The answer Mr Nundwe lies in our self hate. For as long as we think foreign is best (ask Lucky Mulusa) our construction industry like everything else zambian will remain in the doldrums. Contractors like Gomes Haulage can inspire a new generation of zambian contractor but how much govt support do they receive.
“ZANIS reports that Mr Nundwe attributed the low participation levels of small and medium scale contractors to lack of appropriate skills and technical knowledge.”
Don’t mock us. Zambians are very capable and knowledgable to execute the works. It is your mere preference of foreign labour. How do you expect local contractors to perform without an advance payment? They need to start from somewhere