Govt to dismantle arrears for local contractors – Milupi
By SIMON MUNTEMBA
WE are in the process of dismantling the outstanding payments owed to local contractors within the shortest possible time, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development has said.
Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Minister, Charles Milupi said the ministry, working with the Ministry of Finance and National Planning was working round the clock towards finding ways of paying all contractors owed.
He said in an interview that the ministry was aware of the delayed payments for services rendered to Government on various infrastructure projects and that it was in the process of dismantling the outstanding payments.
Mr Milupi was reacting to concerns of delayed payments to local contractors.
Mr Milupi said Government was aware of the critical role that local contractors play in distribution of income as well as the back and forth linkage they provided to the construction industry.
“The new dawn government is alive to the negative effect delayed payments on projects has on the businesses of local contractors. For this reason, Government is in the process of dismantling outstanding payments within the shortest possible time,” Mr Milupi said.
He admitted that contractors like the Small and Medium Scale Contractors played a vital role in the creation of employment opportunities and that Government had their interest at heart.
The minister also said Government was in the process of embarking on a number of initiatives that would benefit small and medium scale contractors.
Last week, former National Association for Medium and Small-Scale Contractors Lucy Ngoma appealed to Government to expedite the payment of the debt owed to local contractors to avoid delayed completion of various projects in the country.
Ms Ngoma, said efforts to have projects completed on time would be in vain if Government continued to delay payment for work done by local contractors.
She appealed to the new dawn government to look at the plight of local contractors over the years, more especially on projects that had been executed.
