‘STOP BLAMING LOCAL CONTRACTORS WHEN PROJECTS FAIL’

LUAPULA Constituency Member of Parliament Chanda Katotobwe who is also Board Chairperson and founder of Tomorrow Investment Limited has bemoaned the low levels of local contractors competing favourably with foreign ones.

And Mr Katotobwe says there is a lot of injustice towards local contractors whenever a project fails.

In his keynote address at the Zambia Institute of Quantity Surveyors (ZIQS) annual general conference in Livingstone, Mr Katotobwe urged the professional bodies and institutions in the local construction industry not to shy away from giving professional advise on issues affecting the sector.

He said this includes the current conversation about value for money because quantity surveyors are the country’s cost engineers and are involved in projects from start to completion.

Mr Katotobwe noted that the construction market was too competitive and does not favour local contractors.

He said, this is despite the sector being a key for economic growth in the country through infrastructure. He disclosed that the current scenario in the country was that foreign contractors account for 90 percent of construction projects while Zambians only fight for five percent. Mr Katotobwe said this entails that the fighting space for local contractors was limited and very small. “Since Independence, the construction industry has evolved and diversified. This is because of its importance and it is inevitable to have varied opinions from stakeholders,” he said.

And Mr Katotobwe has observed that there were a lot of injustices towards local contractors whenever a project fails.

However, he said that it is normal for a construction project to fail just as witnessed from the Mongu Kalabo road which failed some time back despite the contract being awarded to a foreign contractor who was paid millions of dollars.

“Local contractors must be given an opportunity to work or even to fail. Truth be told, it is impossible in this world for a group of business, intelligent and qualified persons who get five at the first attempt...no it is not possible,” he said.

“In this country of ours, we have a tendency where if a local contractor fails once, you want him crucified and killed but if a foreign fails there is no issue,” he said. He has also applauded the ZIQS for successfully hosting the elective Annual General Conference.