By HELEN ZULU –
GOVERNMENT says the construction industry needs to address gaps in the current legal framework to effectively regulate the industry.
Currently, the National Council for Construction (NCC) Act No 13 of 2003 is undergoing review to make it responsive to the needs of modern society in a global sense.
Works and Supply Permanent Secretary Charles Sipanje said the construction industry continues to be among Zambia’s top performing sectors that contribute to economic growth, therefore it cannot be taken for granted or ignored.
Mr Sipanje was speaking when he officiated at the NCC two-day stakeholder consultative meeting to review performance of the construction industry in Lusaka yesterday.
“The construction industry has scored a number of good successes in the recent past and its contribution to the country’s gross domestic product and that job creation cannot be over emphasised,” he said.
Mr Sipanje said Government had invested heavily in expansion, development and maintenance of education, health, transportation, communication, power generation and recreation facilities.
He said the construction industry also created demand for goods and services despite facing various challenges.
NCC board chairperson Patrick Kampengele said it is imperative to ensure longevity in terms of the design and operational life of infrastructure if Government is to realise value for money.
He said the consultative meeting had come at a more opportune time when the country was experiencing massive infrastructure investments in key sectors of the economy.
Mr Kampengele said the consultative meeting was meant to deliberate and devise a strategy for mainstreaming quality at every stage of infrastructure delivery which seemed to have been neglected in the past when considering time and cost constraints in project delivery.