admin
Brighton Gumbo Business Reporter
BUILDING contractors are struggling to keep afloat due to limited infrastructural development activities in the country, an official said.
Zimbabwe Building Contractors’ Association (ZBCA) national president, Obert Sibanda, said the liquidity crunch being faced by the country was impacting negatively on the construction industry.
“Construction is generally considered the barometer of the economy. As things stand now the economy is down and construction work is not readily available,” said Sibanda.
He said infrastructure development was a vital component in stimulating economic growth.
Vibrant infrastructure development does not only enhance productivity in downstream industries but creates more job opportunities as well.
“We’re trying to make policymakers understand that it’s critical for us to turn around the economy through infrastructural development.
“This can be done and our aim now is to really engage the government to engage other stakeholders and the international community to avail funding for robust infrastructural development,” added Sibanda.
He said infrastructural development would also incentivise private sector investment in other sectors such as transport and logistics, information communication technology.
“Many companies and industries stand to benefit through supplying building materials and these companies are going to employ a number of people and that is going to trigger the desired economic growth.
“So, instead of spreading the resources thinly as an economy, if we were to put most of our resources into infrastructural development our economy may turn around,” said Sibanda.
The ZBCA national president said it was disappointing that scores of building contractors were scrambling for a small cake when opportunities abound for fresh projects.
“As we speak there’re so many contractors without jobs yet they’re supposed to survive,” Sibanda said.
He, however, commended the rehabilitation of the 820km Plumtree-Bulawayo-Harare-Mutare highway by Infralink, which he said has given many contractors jobs.
Infralink is a joint venture between Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) and Group Five International of South Africa. Zinara owns 70 percent shareholding in the joint venture.
The road rehabilitation project also includes the construction of toll plazas.
“That’s a good project and I believe quite a number of our contractors did benefit although we could get more. We’re, however, not very happy with the airport at Victoria Falls. While we’re going to benefit as far as the infrastructure is concerned we’re not benefiting as local contractors and suppliers, so that is our biggest challenge,” Sibanda said.
Online Reporter