Government of Uganda has procured more than 300 pieces of building and construction equipment which will be set aside for hire by private indigenous construction companies.
These highly sophisticated equipment include; excavators, compactors, hoisters, water transportation trucks and auxiliary machinery, among others.
The move is intended to foster skills development in the field of science and technology and boost the innovation space through creating potential for Ugandans to expeditiously take part in calculated national infrastructural projects and industrial processes.
Leveraging the National Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation Skills Enhancement Project (NSTEI-SEP), government made a pragmatic move to procure more than 300 pieces of construction equipment and machinery to solve the problem of lack of technical capabilities among local firms.
This will enable these indegenous firms to compete favourably with other big international companies in the biding of construction projects.
The machines are part of the UGX. 435 billion apportioned to National Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation Skills Enhancement, grounded under the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, whose prime aim is to actualize capacity building among citizens, vital for a participatory approach in boosting different sectors of the economy.
Mr Paul Okiria, the National Council for Science and Technology procurement officer told personnel present during the sight tour of the machines which are stationed in Lyantonde district that the equipment will be available at a lease and use basis.
He clarified that the equipment will provide a capacity for local construction companies to compete favourably with foreign firms in undertaking major infrastructural ventures.
“I have been in this business of contracts for long but at times you sympathise with our local companies. You find it hard to award a contract to a local firm that is competing but just a tractor and perhaps a truck,” said Okiria.
Okiria elaborated that with this project in place, local firms, individuals and even local governments, can rent or lease the equipment to undertake major infrastructural ventures and also noted that some local companies such as National Enterprise Corporation had already expressed interest in hiring some of the machines.
According to Mr Gerald Tumwiine, a mechanical engineer with Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, experts from ventures that hire or lease these machines will acquire skills training on handling and mantaining the equipment.
It should be noted that massive infrastructural projects in Uganda are dominated by foreign firms, especially Chinese, due to limited capacity of local contractors to handle mega projects.
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