Local contractors fight for recognition

Boitshepo Majube | Monday January 27, 2014 16:33

 

The current system of awarding electrical and mechanical tenders does not allow local companies to compete, the association stated at its annual general meeting held in Gaborone last week.

“This in turn favours foreign companies over us, but we are also capable of doing the same jobs even better,” chairperson of AEMCB, Barulaganye Gakelebotse said.

He explained that in their quest to gain recognition they had pursued nominated sub-contracting with government and this has borne fruit.

As a result the recognition of local companies has led to cancellation of tenders for domestic jobs and these were put out for nominated tendering.

 “Much effort was put in this as the preferred sub-contracting by most, if not all procuring entities, was domestic,” he said.

Coupled with the drastic economic situation, Gakelebotse stated that last year, most companies were forced to retrench and some even closed down. He said companies were affected when government shelved projects and very few were engaged.

In a bid to promote and introduce the association in order for its members to be recognised, AEMCB’s outgoing secretary Nikola Licina said they engaged with a total of eight stakeholders.

“In some instances we held up to three different meetings with various officers including CEOs, directors and permanent secretaries of these entities (stakeholders),” he said.

Licina said some of the stakeholders include the Ministry of Infrastructure Science and Technology (MIST), Debswana, department of building and engineering services, department of roads, Botswana Housing Corporation and Botswana Power Corporation.

He said during 2013 Debswana showed interest in supporting AEMCB. “All our meetings were positive and their promise was to engage AEMCB on activities that would come up.”

On that score, Licino encouraged companies to register with Debswana so as to benefit from opportunities that may arise.

Members of AEMCB were informed that the association was now a member of BOCCIM and enjoyed the privilege of being consulted on matters that impacted on policy issues. “The association has been appointed as a member in the committee that is drafting the act of the construction industry regulation board by MIST,” he said.