Lusambo warns sub-contractors against shoddy works
GOVERNMENT will not condone sub-contractors who are doing sub standard works especially on drainages, Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has warned.
Speaking when he inspected part of AVIC International L400 road project along Katima Mulilo road which the company has subcontracted, Mr Lusambo said AVIC International was implementing the 20 percent local subcontracting policy which President Edgar Lungu has been advocating for. He said if local contractors carried out substandard works on roads and other infrastructure, people would blame the contractor and put his name in disrepute. Mr Lusambo said the government would not compromise on quality especially in the construction of drainages because it wanted the infrastructure to stand the test of time. The minister explained that local contractors who have been subcontracted by Avic should perform to standard so that government can award them major contracts. “We don’t want to compromise on quality, if you are giving us sub standards works especially on drainages we are going to remove you. Subcontractors should not put the name of contractor into disrepute, because when there is sub standard work people will not say it’s the subcontractor but they will blame Avic. “We want local contractors to learn so that they start undertaking major projects, to perform the same duties that Avic is performing, but if they fail we will still go back to Avic and the local contractors will continue complaining because we can’t be giving contracts to companies that fail to deliver, “he said. Avic international chief representative Cui Ji said the company is aware of the 20 percent subcontracting policy requested by government. He said Avic international has signed with 51 local subcontractors with 320 sub contracts amount to 15.07 million United States dollars. Mr Ji said as the main contractor to government, the company plans to share 15 million United States dollars to sub contractors. “We recently noticed that several sub contractors report Avic international to government for not fulfilling the sub contracting policy. “I want to make a clarification that this is a false statement. I believe all of you presented here especially our proprietor and sub contractors are our most powerful evidence of contribution and efforts made by Avic international, “he said. The company representative commended sub-contractors for their contribution towards the L400 project. Meanwhile Avic international has awarded six local contractors for their outstanding performance. The local contractors include Boncathy construction Company, Kaona suppliers and general construction,Tertia suppliers, Waxman enterprises limited ,Vector investment and Paneni works limited.