KAMPALA – The minister of trade and industry Amelia Kyambadde has said corrupt middlemen are impeding local contractors from getting government tenders.
Speaking at the launch of the First Uganda Contractors & Providers Summit in Kampala on Wednesday, Ms Kyambadde said many middlemen orchestrate corruption and make local contracting and tendering expensive.
“Please be-ware of these middlemen. There is corruption in the tender process. They make bidding expensive, every bidding step you make they ask for money,” she said.
The minister urged local contractors to keep abreast of all tendering processes in government to avoid being exploited by the middlemen.
“Local contractors should get well informed about the tender processes and where to address their grievances if they feel cheated,” Ms Kyambadde said.
The First Uganda Contractors & Providers Summit, which is being organised by the Ministry of Trade, Uganda Contractors & Providers and Beautiful Partners will be held on November 12 and November 13 at Kampala Serena Hotel under the theme: ‘Buy Uganda, Build Uganda from a contractors’ perspective’.
President Yoweri Museveni is expected to grace the event.
The minister urged public officials to make the bidding process easy for locals.
“You make a contractor run from one ministry to the next looking for a signature that is a non- tariff barrier,” Ms Kyambadde said.
Mr Moses Kyambadde, the managing partner of Beautiful Partners, said the summit will address issues of taxation, capacity building, opportunities and procurement cycles.
Mr Guster Bukenya, a representative of Uganda Contractors and Providers, said the summit seeks to create a platform to develop skills that can enable local contractors be part of the procurement cycle.
“We want local contractors who are often made sub-contractors to grow and become the main contractors, local contractors have stepped up in terms of both quality and quantity,” Mr Bukenya said.
The manager public and corporate affairs at the Uganda Revenue Authority, Mr Vincent Seruma, advised local contractors to comply with the tax system which will give them great opportunities to do business.
“Contractors can miss out on tenders because of not complying with the tax system. When you get into the bidding process you can grow and get markets in the region, the continent, the African Continental Free Trade Area, we need to prepare for these markets,” Mr Seruma said.
