Contractors urged to display integrity to win support

PIUS RUGONZIBWA in Mwanza

CONTRACTORS Registration Board (CRB) is striving to empower local contractors amid reports that at least 65 per cent of projects undertaken by indigenous contractors were shoddy.

Poor financial base and lack of professionalism are some of the factors impeding the performance of many local contractors whom the government has promised to connect with financial institutions.

Addressing the contractors Annual General Meeting (AGM) here over the weekend, CRB Acting Registrar Rhoben Nkori said besides strategies designed to improve and promote them, local contractors should exhibit credibility to deserve support.

He said out of about 12,000 registered local companies, some 4,000 have been deleted from the register while the remaining 8,000 will be subjected to strict scrutiny.

“We strive to provide credit guarantees to some of the contractors and of late about 1,400 companies were linked with different lenders under CRB guarantee,” he said.

TIB Corporate Bank Head for Corporate Sales Theresia Soka, whose bank sponsored the meeting, told the ‘Daily News’ here that the bank has introduced various packages to help small companies execute their projects, smoothly.

The bank has so far dished out about 23bn/- in support of local contractors and plans are afoot to introduce more packages. Works, Transport and Communication Minister Makame Mbarawa, addressing the CRB members, said the government was keen to realise expected performances from the construction industry.

Professor Mbarawa said in the last five months, the government has disbursed 1.1trn/- to clear outstanding claims by both foreign and local contractors, asking them to work diligently.