Govt wants UNRA to work with local constructors

Jul 15, 2016

This follows complaints from local contractors that UNRA prefers international companies to carry out road works in Uganda, ignoring local contractors.

The new minister of state for Transport Aggrey Bagiire has vowed to resolve the conflict between Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) and the Uganda National Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors (UNABCEC).

This follows complaints from local contractors that UNRA prefers international companies to carry out road works in Uganda, ignoring local contractors.

The complaint was raised by engineers during the contractors quarterly networking dinner organized by UNABCEC that took place on FridayIn Kampala.

In response, Bagiire said he will engage the technical team at UNRA and that of the contractors so as to identify areas of improvement on both sides so that they work together.

He, however, noted that local contractors may have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to carry out such road works.

"One of the biggest problems we must agree is that they have not attained the capacity in terms of skills and machinery to do the kind of work that UNRA or government wants," said Bagiire.

Some of the work that has been done by the local contractors has not been well done like bridges, murrum roads including health facilities, observed the minister.

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