Local firms for housing projects

DAILY NEWS Reporter

President John Magufuli.

WATUMISHI Housing Company (WHC) and the LAPF Pensions Fund are set to implement with immediate effect President John Magufuli’s directive to give preferential treatment to competent local contractors.

Speaking separately during interviews with the ‘Daily News’ recently, the WHC Managing Director, Dr Fred Msemwa and the LAPF Director General, Mr Eliud Sanga, collectively said their entities were keen to implement the directive.

“At WHC we found the directive timely, nationalistic and in line with the Public Procurement Act. To affirm WHC management commitment to the order, effective in the coming housing units construction projects we will introduce the system of having several lots or segments when we float tenders for all projects.

We are set to abandon the traditional system where a project let say worth 30 billion shillings was floated as a single project.

We will create several small lots of value not exceeding 10bn/- so that we contribute towards the growth and strengthening of local construction firms,” vowed the WHC managing director.

The WHC is a state agency tasked with the construction of low cost housing units for public servants. To fit in the WHC low-cost housing philosophy, Dr Msemwa challenged local contractors to adopt nationalism as their motto as they bid and work on WHC projects. “Indeed local contractors are going to abundantly benefit from WHC projects in various parts of the country.

On his part, Mr Sanga noted that the directive is aimed at seeing to it that the country maximises the benefit of its generated revenues by creating conducive operational environment for local contractors.

“By awarding contracts to qualified local contractors we hit three birds at once by creating abundant employment, retaining the wealth earned by the contractor and extending the much required support for growth and strengthening of the local construction sector,” observed the LAPF boss.

However, Mr Sanga called on local firms to come up with a national strategy which will win the state backing to solve the long-standing operational cum business capital deficiencies. “Local contractors need to sit down and present a national strategy to seek state support.

I am aware one of the factors powering foreign contractors is a massive and multi-front guarantee or support they enjoy from their governments.

“It can be done here provided our firms’ proprietors change their mind-sets to adopt a proper business-like attitude,” noted Mr Sanga.

Among other projects, WHC is undertaking a 12 billion shillings 10 storey double towers block at Magomeni Usalama, several low-cost housing units at Mbweni and Kigamboni both in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Mwanza, Dodoma and an up-coming multi-billion shillings satellite town at Kibaha, all totaling over 200 billion shillings.

The LAPF on the other hand has recently implemented high-profile construction projects including the 18 storey Kijitonyama skyscraper phase two, the new, ultra-modern Dodoma LAPF headquarters.

The seven storey building serves other tenants; LAPF too owns an exceptional and multi-billion shillings shopping-mall in the lake-side city of Mwanza.