CONTRACTORS CRY FOUL OVER CONTRACTS

CONTRACTORS based in North Western Province have cried foul for not being awarded contracts in the mines and by the provincial administration.

This came to light during a consultative meeting with the business community organised by the PF provincial leadership held at Solwezi Lodge.

The contractors pointed out that most of the contracts are awarded to foreign contractors and those from outside the province.

Victor Muyelu the chief executive officer of Handvic Limited Company complained that local contractors are hardly awarded contracts in preference to contractors from outside the province.

He disclosed that out of the over 1000 locally registered contractors, only a handful of them were given contracts in the mines.

‘’And those contracts are small ones, all big contracts are given to either to foreigners or those contractors from outside the province,’’ Mr Muyelu said.

He appealed to government to intervene in the matter so that local contractors could also benefit from the contracts.

And Gerald Chibuye also chief executive officer of Rads Engineering, wondered why the provincial administration only awards contracts to contractors from outside the province when the local ones are also capable carrying out works.

He asked the provincial administration to consider the local contractors first before awarding them to those from outside the province.

‘’What is painful is that even contracts to do with vegetation control under RDA are given to outsiders when all of us here are very much capable of handling such works. So, we want see a change in the awarding of these contracts,’’ he said.

And former North Western Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mathias Mutupa said the business community in the province were faced with a number of challenges.

Mr Mutupa being the immediate past president for the Chamber he is preview to the challenges the businessmen and women are faced with.

He however said the business community in the province is thrilled to hear that the Prime Minister of Israel has proposed to have the ’’Israel Africa Summit’’ next year in Zambia.

He said the initiative was welcome and the business community in the province stands ready to participate in the summit.

‘’We are very much ready to participate in the summit and ready to support its hosting,’’ he said.

And North Western province PF chairperson Jackson Kungo advised the businessmen and women to always dialogue if some of the challenges they are facing are to be addressed.

He said assured them that he would engage the parties involved especially the provincial administration to find a solution to their challenges.