Zambia needs competent contractors for its road network -ZABUTW

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 10:19:04 +0000

By JOSSY CHAIMA

ONLY road contractors with the capacity to do a better job should be given contracts to rehabilitate and construct roads under the C400 project,’ says Zambia Bus and Taxis Workers Union (ZABUTWU) vice-president Poster Jumbe.

Mr Jumbe said government should make sure that the C400 project produced quality roads which would change the face of various cities and towns on the Copperbelt by engaging contractors with the ability to put up quality works.

He said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that local and foreign contractors who have a record of putting up poor road works should not be given any contract to work on the roads under C400.

“People have hope that the C400 project will change the face of various cities and towns on the Copperbelt in terms of road rehabilitation, but for this project to perform well, we need contractors who can do a good job,

“So, as ZABUTWU, we would like to advise government to make sure that only,  road contractors with the capacity to do a better job should be given contracts to rehabilitate and construct roads under the C400 project,” Mr Jumbe said.

He said it was sad that most of the local contractors were always failing to put up good works whenever they were awarded a contract while others abandoned projects on first payment. He said most of the damaged roads in various parts of the country were done by Zambian contractors who had done a poor job after getting a lot of tax payer’s money.

He said local contractors should be patriotic and responsible by ensuring that they set good standards in terms of quality works, instead of being only interested in money.

“In most cases, it is our own Zambian contractors who have done pathetic jobs. You find that, in some cases, less than a six months from the time the road was constructed, it is damaged. Local contractors have failed to do quality works.

“It is really sad that the local contractors who are crying to be given jobs, are the ones who have no capacity to do good jobs. Most of the roads which are damaged in various parts of the country were done by our own local contractors,” He said.

He also urged relevant authorities who were involved in awarding contracts to award them on merit, instead of succumbing to the temptations of corruption which was the worst enemy of development.