A state owned construction firm in Namibia should be launched amid growing international firms in the country, National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) has adviced. Nudo says that most companies in the construction industry are from China or North Korea.
Nudo deputy secretary general Vetaruhe Kandorozu said that as a progressive party, they have realized that there is the need for the government to start a construction company that will participate in the mega construction activities in Namibia.
Kandorozu added that the Chinese currency is strong because SOEs from China involved in the construction sector have been milking the Namibian government. He gave an instance of Chinese construction projects funded by the Chinese but questions the origin of the funds.
“There is a need for the government to come up with a construction company to benefit from multi-million dollar State tenders without participating in any procurement process.
This would help keep millions of dollars in the country that would otherwise have been sent to Asia and thus boost Namibia’s revenue base,” Kandorozu said.
He condemned what has been going on in the construction industry as job opportunities are given to expatriates who benefit and not the Namibian locals.
“Chinese companies bring in their workers, equipment and building material, while our people remain unemployed or work under the supervision of Asians who sometimes do not know the job very well.
Kandorozu said this would help the government cut on costs by reducing the amount of money going out of the country.
He particularly emphasized on the ministerial offices that are currently under construction which could have boosted the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, coupled with many other projects that are complete and those that are underway.
In the long run, Namibia’s independent economists would be able to calculate how much capital Namibia has exported to other parts of the world through government construction projects since 1990.
Kandorozu said the government ought to come up with a framework that allows Namibia to participate fully in its projects and avoid wastage especially in the procurement process.
