President Edgar Lungu has said that he is not happy that local contractors are not competent enough to execute jobs they are being subcontracted in the roads sector.
With plans to raise the minimum threshold for local subcontractors from 20 percent to 50 percent, President Lungu wondered how the local contractors would manage the 50 percent threshold when their capacity at 20 percent is not impressive.
Speaking after he toured a Toll Plaza under construction along the Solwezi-Chingola road this morning, President Lungu also told Chinese Contractors that it is their obligation to ensure that 20 percent of their works are given to local contractors, adding that it is not kindness but an obligation for them to subcontract local firms.
President Lungu said he had been receiving reports that some contractors were not doing so and wondered how China Geo had subcontracted another Chinese company on the Solwezi-Chingola road instead of a local firm, adding that it is such practices which make Zambians complain about the manner contracts are being awarded.
Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu has directed PF members of Parliament to go back to their constituencies and deliver on their promises to the electorate.
The President says he has noted with sadness that some parliamentarians have neglected the voters who put them in power.
The head of state was speaking on arrival at South Down Airport in Kalulushi on the Copperbelt.
President Lungu has reminded the MPs that 2021 is just around the corner and politicians will seek to renew their mandate from the same people they are abandoning now.
And President Edgar Lungu has said that he is not happy with reports of land wrangles on the Copperbelt province and has advised councils to find a lasting solution to the issues affecting the people.
The President said councils must sit down with the people to resolve and harmonise the land issues as soon as possible because it is affecting the vulnerable in society.
President Lungu told Kitwe City Council Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe that there is nothing wrong with his office engaging the affected people over the land in the show grounds as doing so will help resolve the wrangles.
President Lungu said as leaders engage with electorates and help resolve problems that are affecting the people.
He also has advised party members in the region to visit their constituencies and work with people who elected them to office.
President Lungu is on the Copperbelt province on a two day working visit and is expected to commission the expansion of NFCA mine project in Chambeshi mine tomorrow.
The president this afternoon inspected works on the township roads in Chingola district before holding a meeting with party officials.
It is not a surprise… what we need to do is have enforcement on each level across all projects.
Zambia lacks enforcement of the law. We know about this, let us get to work to resolve this… we have intelligent country men who can devise the way forward.
Just instruct the people in the right jobs and call them to task if they do not deliver. That is what I understand a president does.
Good observation Dr. Chonya.
Hahaha. Who woke him up this time? Where was he? It’s all our fault as Zambians to let this happen to our country.
Mama showed us a sign and didn’t listen. Tulimucibe bane
Hahaha! In 2021 will will send someone to sleep for ever. Zambia will become peaceful Hagain.
Those are the engineers you are offering to Saudi Arabia? Or was it Turkey?
We have heard this before ….as usual it is tiring Zambians don’t even get this 20% he is talking about. Money from the exim bank of China or India actually is directly given to the contracted Chinese or Indian companies to expend on the project …..and in turn pay any subcontractors so how can Chagwa know if Zambians are even getting the 20% ???? Kindly understand the end to end processes involved in these projects the problem bwana is that u have just been contracting the loans and getting your kick backs and your cadres getting deals out of this by resubcontracting via sale of contracts ….yaba ba PF katwishi!
There are a lot of intelligent country man and Lungu is definitely not one of them.
@ Nostradamus. The people who are being subcontracted are not engineers. They’re themselves PF cadres. This is where you get it wrong you guys. You don’t know what’s happening on the ground. If you went around and checked, You won’t find any Engineer sub contracted by any Chinese. It’s PF cadres. In Zambia currently, you can’t get any contract from the government if you’re not a PF cadre even if you’re better qualified and you know it’s not common to find Engineers as cadres. It seems you have something against Engineers. It’s understandable because I am sure you couldn’t be selected to enter Engineering because the requirements are tough. I’ve worked with European, American and Asian trained Engineers and I can tell you some of them suck as hell.
Did Chinese vote for Lungu or its Zambians? Is he president of tu ma choncolee or for zambians?
Road contracts are a conduit for PF theft thru Chinese kickbacks. When your time to be accountable comes, these Chinese wont escort u to jail or run away with u to China.
Good job Mr. President. If you see them failing, just give the job to those who are better, period! Let’s develop this thing Mr. President. It will NEVER be a president. YOU ARE A GREAT LEADER! We are in a hurry to develop Zambia.
The 20% Subcontracting issue is a total mess. The earlier someone one with authority wakes up the better.
It seems the small contractors are making the situation even worse by not understanding what constitutes a contract, let alone a subcontract.
I wished I was in Zambia I could have helped but alas I am away from home for obvious reasons.
Subcontracting is not working at the moment and that is why our local contractors seem incompetent.
2021 is making people start to do some actual work.
You and the Chinese must be laughing at us behind closed doors.
The obligation is on you Mr. Lungu to make sure guests you have invited to this country carry out your instructions.
And what have you done to make sure local contractors are competent and accountable?
Words alone might not get you through 2021. That is if indeed you are eligible for a third term.
Just do away with all of them and build capacity in ZNS and the Army! We can do much more for far less!
A good example is the Road works you have given local contractors in Kwamwena and Ndeke Meanwood. Avic have completed their works in good time and our own have not even mobilized to site! Meanwood a local company gave fellow citizens raw deals and have not lived up to the terms of the sales agreements! Why should we always insist on giving 20% of contracts to incompetent local companies? Let’s just organize our construction works through ZNS! It’s time we started believing in ourselves!
I once said this exact thing three years ago right before we lost Bashi Chilufya (MCS) MHSRIP … we had a discussion about capacity building when the 20% was introduced. I said the new ZNS should be contracted the majority of these deals.
The ZNS would then employ all the youth roaming streets and immediately turn them into productive citizens. For the the remaining contracts, only licensed companies and individuals should be awarded the contracts not just any Jim and Jack.
In the US even a barber has to go to school for 10 months minimum and get his license, all electrical, mechanical, HVAC, etc contractors all have licenses. That’s how you make sure your have a quality end product. It also focuses people to go to school and get the necessary trades training.
BR Mumba, Sr. There are things that contribute to under performing by the local contractors which you over looking. It’s unfair to say local contractors have failed to perform. You see,most of these local contractors are hand picked leaving good and deserving contractors behind and again the mine contractors mostly the Chinese are either instructed who to give or they undermine the subcontractors . I can assure if the tenders are genuinely followed Zambian contractors have the capacity to do better. Look at the beautiful houses built in lusaka ,have you seen a Chinese building them or it’s us the locals. So how can we fail to build these little houses e.g police houses in Kabwe,lusaka,kapiri etc. Please don’t kill the local contractors who have no voice. Stop hand picking and see what…
Ba Kasonde … I totally agree with you on using more local contractors but licensure also works so that you keep your professional integrity by weeding out bad apples.
That way everyone wins … good luck and keep up the good work
Just do away with all of them and build capacity in ZNS and the Army! We can do much more for far less!
A good example is the Road works you have given local contractors in Kwamwena and Ndeke Meanwood. Avic have completed their works in good time and our own have not even mobilized to site! Meanwood a local company gave fellow citizens raw deals and have not lived up to the terms of the sales agreements! Why should we always insist on giving 20% of contracts to incompetent local companies? Let’s just organize our construction works through ZNS! It’s time we started believing in ourselves!!!
Mr president thats an unfair statement coz you generalized it. There are plenty local contractors who actually know how to execute according to international standards. Problem is you say buy Zambia and you re the first not to believe that. For example you re the first to fly to rsa for treatment when we have uth with competent doctors.
He wants his paymasters the Chinks to take over…Zambian contractors worked on this road but govt was not keeping up with payments..i think Buildco worked on this road.
He is there ignorantly praising the Chinks not knowing they are killing his country slowly for takeover….in Kenyan police raided a facility that has been using a toxic compond in a popular branded granulated sugar product.
“he toured a Toll Plaza under construction along the Solwezi-Chingola road this morning”
There goes this lazy empty tin again…simply look at who has given the GRZ contracts to? And where local contracts are sub contractors there is no skills transfer….plus how many times has the govt been behind on funding of this road? Why are you erecting toll gate on this road when its been funded by taxpayers?
Larry Maluma, Oh soryy Mr. Maluma! I wanted to say Larry Mweetwa has a bad heart. Like the heart of a snake.
Sick in the head and in the heart.
Bwana Lungu its also true that you Zambian politicians are not as competent as the Asian ones who’ve turned Singapore , Malaysia and Taiwan into economic tigers.
HH for example is not competent.
Sharon twapapata twanaka enough is enough try and be civil, don’t think you are the only one who can spew nonsense mwana nafyalikwe ku wusakile so twakulafye insele tatwalaba learn to discuss issues with civility other wise Teti utuchile insele tuka kufula pa Lusaka times ukabutuka take caution of what comes out of your mouth NAPWISHA
Just seeing him here means sleepless nights to the Dept of Hatribes. They will die of Cikonko!
Can you be mature ,rational and sensible for once? Mscheew, your infantile posts make me sick.
Sometimes it’s as if lungu work up from a dream or he hard a night mare. local contractors will of course be bad and they can’t compete with the mighty Chinese. If empowered the locals can do 95 percent Zambians are getting tired of the Chinese taking over everything. Our economy is going grow more if locals were more involved. How do u expect them to have jobs and more money in their pockets
How can a visionless man have the audacity to say this. You know what PANly0 pako lungu. There i said it. Come and arrest me. I live on sable road kabulonga
A Jonathan lungu
What levels of competence do you possess for your job.Money’s to fund electrol mulpractices and non priority areas are always available, why is it that all the toll plaza are being made by the Chinese up to now, what sophisticated technology is there for skills transfers to be such a challenge on such simple technology.Why is it that knowledgeable and able zambians are not able to grow their small to medium companies, its all due to patronage issues propagated by you and your administration.”AVIC everywhere” your inner circle is winning road tenders, yet most do not even have simple road making equipment, hence they sale the tenders to the Chinese you must be ashamed of yourself incompetent President.
Bid writers for these Chink firms work in govt tender and procurement depts…if govt was serious about fighting corrupting they would rooted out these chaps are rotated them.
The competent do not have the resources or the stomachs to get into useless arrangements of siphoning resources meant for development. By now you should have seen that. Only a fool will agree to use 60% of his quoted works for fraud and bribes and the rest to try and conjure up some work. That is why only the Chinese with the might of their governments can actually do some semblance of what you are saying is good work. But come on!!! You know this!!!! Stop making old fashioned political talk!
The country is a victim of its own tendency to sideline competent and professional people. We have a lot of high ly trained and capable professionals around, who if properly utilized can carry this country to unbelievable high levels of success.
“….who if properly utilized can carry this country to unbelievable high levels of success….”
That is the key….and that is the job of GRZ , but this GRZ thinks that is the job of the private sector…they are a useless GRZ who thinks their job is only campaigning and collecting tax…
Mr president Zambians can do the works without fail,but contractors are hand picked hence the failing. It’s not fair to think that we Zambian contractors are failing when genuine contractors are left out. Mr president even the Chinese, are not willing to engage genuine contractors because they are either instructed who to pick or they pick a company they can undermine. Secondly, local contractors are not paid on time even the local banks can’t give loans based on government contracts.,saying its a high risk which leaves us with no option but get the 30% loans from individuals. Mr president we need your help to empower us as local contractors. Trust me the Chinese have excess To cheap loans than us.
That’s a true statement at least am glad to read the President has acknowledged that-The problem with ruling parties usual they like to defend wrongs- but when there is truth we are happy but it should be with action. Now its time to find a solution to that problem of the incompetence of our Zambian contractors. I am sure there are some who know how to do the job but how can the genuine ones be found? Kabwe General Hospital Contractor i was told his Zambian he so far has done a recommendable job those are the Zambian contractors we need. If its difficult let the Zambians partner with a foreign company that truly knows the job with clear references of the jobs they have done elsewhere until Zambians become competent..
Went into this infrastructure building unprepared.
Its like a delinquent suddenly getting millions in inheritance only for Zambia it is
debt.
GRZ should have preapeared the capacity for local firms through project training and massive construction s?lls update.
More than half of those $17 billions would still be in the country had GRZ prepared our engineers and technicians to lead projects and run jobs. There would have been no need for all those foreigners.
That is the difference between us blacks and whites or westerners. They prepare the ground work. We just jump in without even knowing our skills capacity…
Even now in the afternoon we are still making the same mistake we made in the morning…….we have build all those infrastructures , GRZ needs foringe investores…
….GRZ needs foringe investores but our educated but unemployed youth don’t have skills. GRZ needs a targeted skills training programme for identified investment hotspots….
Unfortunately black Africans don’t think like that…skills updates and training is a waiste of time and money, to us as long as the unemployed can read and write that’s good enough. The result is shoddy works and foreigners bringing their own techs. Our school leavers are left with seanonal labouring jobs. Most locals who get contracts don’t the difference between project management and a shopping spree….
Who ever this Sharon is, she is very irritating and sacking. Very shameful individual. Your a disgrace to human existence. Sleep forever until you miserably die in your sleep.
Sharon You are just jealous of hard working people like HH who became wealthy through hard working and making right decisions unlike other who have become rich within the blink of an eye. Someone will have to account for their wealthy someday.99% days for a thief but 1 day is for the owner. We are archiving everything happening today as judgement day is busy approaching. Save enough tears Sharon or whatever your name is.