Post by Sapphire Capital on Jul 17, 2008 1:54:23 GMT 4
Wednesday,July 16, 2008 @20:01
A TWO-day consultative meeting, bringing together representatives of construction companies, public and private experts in the industry, opens in Dodoma today amidst complaints of dark spots of workmanship, corruption charges, foul play in cement distribution and other materials.
A weak or a strong construction industry is a big deal in Tanzania. Therefore, one understand why the public pegs hopes onto this meeting. Adult members of the public are tax payers, and roughly 50 per cent of government’s budget is believed to be spent on construction projects.
Indeed, it is good Prime Minister Pinda has been invited to officiate at the function.
The meeting that will bring together over 500 contractors will discuss industry’s issues and participants will have an opportunity to share their feelings with a prime minister who is new in office, but a person, fortunately, with a strong background of civil service; a person who has been around and truly is in the know.
The premier would probably want to get first hand information from the owners of construction companies and the technical men and women in the field who know what it takes to win tenders.
The construction industry -- the rock-bed of the nation’s surface infrastructure -- is growing not retarding; growing at an annual rate of 12 per cent and contributing 6.0 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
With high rise buildings becoming a common place in many of Tanzania’s cities and towns, having a ten-storey crumbling on its weight is, to say the least, bad news to members of the public and an embarrassment to construction experts.
The Contractors Registration Board (CRB) organises annually the meetings because, the board and the industry’s stakeholders view the gatherings as important platforms for contracting industry to engage in serious discussions, networking, sharing of experiences aimed at promoting the industry.
The idea of public private partnership has not taken root, and little is known about how it works in the construction sector.
Registrar of the CRB Boniface Muhegi told the 'Daily News' on Monday that using this forum contractors would appreciate the importance of corporate governance and best practices in the industry.
“We are laying great emphasis on good governance because it puts contracting firms in a better position to compete in the local market and beyond our borders,” the registrar said.
The contractors learn, among other things, techniques and appropriate practices for bidding tenders, management, how to select equipment and safety of workers.
Engineer Muhegi said many contracting firms have collapsed for lack of good governance skills.
“We think some of the corporate governance problems facing contractors include lack of corporate structures and accountability, lack of succession planning, non-compliance, lack of shared values, openness and absence of integrity and proper record keeping,” he said.
The meeting would also review a proposal for revision of registration criteria, class limits and fee structure to meet the market demand.
The theme of this year’s consultative meeting is Corporate Governance: A key to success in contracting business.
Delegates are expected to enrich the meeting with ideas on their field experience because apart from the annual consultative meetings the board organises “zonal meetings to enhance capacity building of local contractors,” Engineer Muhegi noted.
Last year, then Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Mr Pinda pledged to put to an end urbanization growth which does not seek the views and consent of the CRB.
He said excluding the CRB while granting building permits, was an unhealthy development that could not be allowed to continue, especially in relation to offering permits for construction of high-rise buildings and filling stations.
The CRB, established under the Contractors Registration Act Number 17 of 1997, registers, regulates and promotes Tanzania’s contractors.
As part of the efforts to achieve these noble objectives, the board organises consultative meetings to make contractors remain abreast of changes in the industry.
“Our Vision is to be an exemplary regulator that develops dynamic, capable, and competitive contractors who observe business ethics, undertake construction projects efficiently and participate in the regional and global markets,” the register said.
Engineer Mugwishagwe Eleuterius who has attended three such meeting praises them saying they “play a significant role in the development and growth of local contractors. One would call them fora for knowledge and skills transfer.”
The meetings have exposed small and medium contractors to ways of accessing finance, he said.
“Tanzania’s construction industry has a bright future to benefit local contractors, but the contractors need to be exposed to ways of getting finance,” the engineer said.
A TWO-day consultative meeting, bringing together representatives of construction companies, public and private experts in the industry, opens in Dodoma today amidst complaints of dark spots of workmanship, corruption charges, foul play in cement distribution and other materials.
A weak or a strong construction industry is a big deal in Tanzania. Therefore, one understand why the public pegs hopes onto this meeting. Adult members of the public are tax payers, and roughly 50 per cent of government’s budget is believed to be spent on construction projects.
Indeed, it is good Prime Minister Pinda has been invited to officiate at the function.
The meeting that will bring together over 500 contractors will discuss industry’s issues and participants will have an opportunity to share their feelings with a prime minister who is new in office, but a person, fortunately, with a strong background of civil service; a person who has been around and truly is in the know.
The premier would probably want to get first hand information from the owners of construction companies and the technical men and women in the field who know what it takes to win tenders.
The construction industry -- the rock-bed of the nation’s surface infrastructure -- is growing not retarding; growing at an annual rate of 12 per cent and contributing 6.0 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
With high rise buildings becoming a common place in many of Tanzania’s cities and towns, having a ten-storey crumbling on its weight is, to say the least, bad news to members of the public and an embarrassment to construction experts.
The Contractors Registration Board (CRB) organises annually the meetings because, the board and the industry’s stakeholders view the gatherings as important platforms for contracting industry to engage in serious discussions, networking, sharing of experiences aimed at promoting the industry.
The idea of public private partnership has not taken root, and little is known about how it works in the construction sector.
Registrar of the CRB Boniface Muhegi told the 'Daily News' on Monday that using this forum contractors would appreciate the importance of corporate governance and best practices in the industry.
“We are laying great emphasis on good governance because it puts contracting firms in a better position to compete in the local market and beyond our borders,” the registrar said.
The contractors learn, among other things, techniques and appropriate practices for bidding tenders, management, how to select equipment and safety of workers.
Engineer Muhegi said many contracting firms have collapsed for lack of good governance skills.
“We think some of the corporate governance problems facing contractors include lack of corporate structures and accountability, lack of succession planning, non-compliance, lack of shared values, openness and absence of integrity and proper record keeping,” he said.
The meeting would also review a proposal for revision of registration criteria, class limits and fee structure to meet the market demand.
The theme of this year’s consultative meeting is Corporate Governance: A key to success in contracting business.
Delegates are expected to enrich the meeting with ideas on their field experience because apart from the annual consultative meetings the board organises “zonal meetings to enhance capacity building of local contractors,” Engineer Muhegi noted.
Last year, then Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Mr Pinda pledged to put to an end urbanization growth which does not seek the views and consent of the CRB.
He said excluding the CRB while granting building permits, was an unhealthy development that could not be allowed to continue, especially in relation to offering permits for construction of high-rise buildings and filling stations.
The CRB, established under the Contractors Registration Act Number 17 of 1997, registers, regulates and promotes Tanzania’s contractors.
As part of the efforts to achieve these noble objectives, the board organises consultative meetings to make contractors remain abreast of changes in the industry.
“Our Vision is to be an exemplary regulator that develops dynamic, capable, and competitive contractors who observe business ethics, undertake construction projects efficiently and participate in the regional and global markets,” the register said.
Engineer Mugwishagwe Eleuterius who has attended three such meeting praises them saying they “play a significant role in the development and growth of local contractors. One would call them fora for knowledge and skills transfer.”
The meetings have exposed small and medium contractors to ways of accessing finance, he said.
“Tanzania’s construction industry has a bright future to benefit local contractors, but the contractors need to be exposed to ways of getting finance,” the engineer said.