LOCAL CONTRACTORS UNHAPPY WITH CHINESE DOMINANCE IN LESOTHO

Lesotho local contractor not happy with government awarding contracts to chinese firms.

Local contractors are unhappy with government over contract awarding to chinese firm. The contractors also complain that the government does not want to promote local content. Due to this problem, two of the nation major construction firm has submit a joint letter.

The letter was given to parliamentary Public Accounts Committee chairman, Selibe Mochoboroane. Meanwhile from the letter, the two companies allege that Chinese companies are being unfair to local contractors.

The local contractor has felt under appreciated with what the government is doing to them. Consortium of Lesotho Contractors (CLC) has sent their grievances to the ministers of public works and transport; local government; trade and industry as well as the principal secretaries of the three ministries.

CLC said the thriving trend of awarding construction projects to non-local companies can only but cripple the ailing economy of the country. They also said it add to Basotho’s misery of poverty and unemployment.

Leading construction firm in Lesotho, Sigma and LSP are not happy with the constant awarding of contract to chinese firm. The two company also question the  ‘unprocedural’ award of a project to build Maputsoe Road to China Geo whose bid of M215 million was M45 million more than that of the lowest bidder, EXR which had submitted a bid of M170 million.

According to Mochoboroane, There is a lot of corruption in awarding the Chinese companies tenders. He said that they need to interrogate how many Chinese have work permits and how they got them.

The challenges is making individuals get jobs because according to him, they are  import labour and equipment. He said this is leaving Basotho resident with little to gain from such projects.