MAIN CONTRACTOR OF LUSAKA-NDOLA DUAL CARRIAGEWAY WARNED AGAINST MARGINALIZING LOCAL CONTRACTORS
By Leah Ngoma
The Small and Medium Scale Contractors Association says it is aware of plans by the main contractor of the 327kilometer Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway and some technocrats to marginalize local contractors.
Association President Edgar Siakachoma states that by law, any concession on a Public-Private Partnership-PPP- project is mandated to reserve more than 20% of the value of the works to Zambian contractors and this must be enforced without any compromise.
Mr Siakachoma has alleged that there are plans to replicate the previous bad habits of the last regime of marginalizing local contractors, a trend he says the association will not allow the new dawn administration to entertain under its watch.
He has further demanded for full disclosure from the ministries of infrastructure, housing and urban development and finance on all relevant information including the conceptual design and full scope of works among others to enable stakeholders devise the best approach to include as many local contractors, service providers and local content as possible across the entire project value chain.
Mr Siakachoma has since requested the ministry of infrastructure, housing and urban development to immediately facilitate an urgent stakeholders meeting to agree on the criteria and mechanism for the engagement of all eligible and capable members of the local construction industry.
Government has flagged off a concession agreement under the public private partnership for the upgrade of the Ndola-Lusaka dual carriage way at US$577 million which is expected to take 36 months of works and will cover around 327 kilometers of the road network.
PHOENIX NEWS