Association of Citizen Contractors Tanzania (ACCT)
The appeal was made yesterday in Dar es Salaam by ACCT chairman, Engineer Andrew Mwaisemba during a detailed discussion session by the Contractors Registration Board (CRB) at their Annual Consultative meeting. “We are very sad that the government favours foreign contractor companies by giving them more and bigger projects yet they fail to implement them in time,” he claimed.
Mwaisemba also called for ACCT to be empowered financially by the government to relieve it of CRB dependency.
“Things like capacity building of local contractors and training should be the responsibility of ACCT while CRB focuses its efforts into ensuring the Registration Act and laws are respected and followed,” he suggested.
Despite these claims it is to be noted that 60 percent of the development budget is channeled to this sector. In fact, statistics show that the construction sector grows 11 percent and contributes seven percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually, this according to CRB.
The Minister for Works, Dr John Pombe Magufuli is expected to address the meeting today and is also expected to address these allegations.
A contractor, identified by the single name Masanja, pointed at a different reason that has led to the ACCT’s shortage of much needed finance. He asserted that ACCT is not paid in time after completion of a project. Alleging another cause he said the following.
“Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) cuts much from our pockets which causes ACCT to fail to operate on its own….there should be a limit on tax and other bills so that the association remains strong,” Masanja challenged the government to pay the contractors in time and to also co-tender foreigner contractors with local ones to facilitate exchange of experience, technique and equipment.
On a much more positive note, CRB Registrar, Eng Boniface Muhegi acknowledged that a lot has been achieved in the country’s construction sector just fifteen years after the establishment of CRB.
“When the board started in 1998 there were no zonal offices but there are currently four of them in Mbeya, Arusha, Mwanza and Dar es Salaam… the percentage share of projects undertaken by local contractors has also risen from 5 percent to 40 percent,” revealed Eng Muhegi.
“The board has done a lot within 15 years of its existence…we are striving to do more,” he pledged and called on his colleagues to keenly observe the country’s laws and regulations and strive for excellence. He pointed out that among its many achievements, the board has helped countries like Malawi, Zambia and Kenya to establish and/or strengthen their contractor boards.
Reading through the past meeting resolutions, Eng Muhegi announced that the enactment of law to mandate locals 30 percent share in all foreign undertaken projects is in the offing.
CRB assistant registrar, Research and Development, Eng Magesa Bairi pledged that the board will strive to improve capacity building ventures by offering training to contractors to ensure they are more competitive, a move that ACCT chairman Mwaisemba denounces favouring instead for ACCT to do so itself.
The two day meeting organised by the CRB also hosted construction technology, services and products exhibition. It brought together over 800 contractors, consultants, clients, policy makers, regulators and other construction industry stakeholders.
A total of four papers are to be presented at the meeting today and are to focus on achievements and challenges in registration and regulation of contractors, capacity building and stakeholders perspective on CRB.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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