Support local contractors, construction firms urged

Wed, 10 May 2017 10:20:26 +0000

By SHEILA SAKUPWANYA

 THE Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors (ABCEC) has called on big construction firms to consider working with local contractors so that they too can benefit from the construction business in Zambia.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Nation, ABCEC president Zhang Jian said there was need to start working with small local contractors by sub-contracting them for various jobs they could manage to do.

Mr Zhang observed that although some jobs were complicated, small local firms could still manage to undertake certain works like tiling, plumbing and painting.

“We need to start engaging the local contractors by sub-contracting them for jobs such as tiling, plumbing, painting and welding so that they can benefit from the construction industry and in due course learn from the big construction firms various tasks,” he said.

Mr Zhang has since called on small construction firms in Zambia to register not only with the National Construction Council but also with ABCEC so that they could be considered for jobs they could manage to do.

“There are only 124 companies registered with ABCEC yet the NCC has a membership of over 1,000. As ABCEC we want more local contractors to register with us so that we can sub-contract them for jobs they can handle with a view to boosting their businesses which will enable them start getting their own contracts in future,” he said.

And Mr Zhang observed that the delays in completion of various projects across the country caused huge cash flow problems.

“The delay in finishing projects retards economic development because most companies find themselves in huge cash flow problems; they at times fold up and as a result the development is not seen at all,” he said.

He noted that at times the Kwacha depreciated, leading to an increase in prices of building materials and fuel, thereby  delaying payments because of changes in the budget which affected both the Government and the construction industry.