Paynesville – The Association of Liberian Construction Contractors (ALCC) is calling on the CDC-led government to empower local firms
Report by Jackson F. Kanneh, [email protected]
Speaking Saturday December 15 at the opening session of the association’s General Assembly in Paynesville, ALCC president Sackie G. Johnson urged the government to provide assistance to Liberian contractors.
According to the ALCC boss, Liberian companies are unable to compete with their foreign counterparts in the construction sector because of the lack of equipment to carry out the job.
Speaking further, he said ALCC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with some foreign partners to provide logistical support to Liberian contractors but needs the agreement with the government of Liberia to further boost ALCC members in the sector.
“We call on the government and their partners to take Liberian contractors more serious and create the enabling environment that will enable us to do the work. You will agree with me when I say that for a while we have been out of the loop of major construction contracts, relying on the fact that most Liberian contractors lack the logistical, material and infrastructural capacity to perform major projects”, he noted.
For his part, the president elect of the Engineering Society of Liberia Thomas Gonkerwon urged ALCC members to work together in order to overcome their challenges.
Gonkerwon said Liberians contractors will only be able to challenge foreign companies for contracts when they form partnership with one another.
He, at the same time, called on ALCC officials to carry out more education among their members on the process regarding bidding for contracts.
He said both legal and financial management training is important in running a construction companies, while calling on Liberian contractors to carefully read the laws surrounding the bidding and awarding of contractors.
“You must form corporation and alliance as associate members in order to be able to win contracts. The more we divide ourselves, the more we weaken ourselves. So, I urges you to work together with your association to form corporation and partnership.
“It is time we provide legal and financial management training to our members, as contractors we do not use the law on the book that supposed to protect us. The laws are to protect us, so if you know your document were tampered with during bidding process, you have the right to challenge it to the PPCC”, he asserted.
Speaking to Front Page Africa at the climax of the gathering, ALCC vice president Burteh T. Freeman assured the government of Liberia of ALCC’s commitment to building a resilient nation.
Freeman said the rebranded ALCC is prepared and willing to work with the government to achieving its goals. Describing the organization’s as meaningful partner in the country’s reconstruction process.
“The ALCC is not like before, we are working in making sure that our members have a safe working environment. To the government, see the ALCC as a partner in progress. We have a meaningful role to play in the reconstruction of the country and we hope that they can continue to engage us,” the ALCC vice president noted.