Kathmandu, Nov. 27:
The Federation of Contractors’ Associations of Nepal
(FCAN) has expressed strong objections on international development partners’
(IDPs) including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), move to bar Nepali
contractors from participating in the tender process of the development
projects undertaken by them.
“It’s unfair to outcast Nepali contractors from
participating in the tender of large infrastructure projects of billions of rupees,”
President of FCAN Rabi Sing said in a press meet organised on Tuesday.
He said that instead of involving Nepali contractors
in the large projects so as to develop their capacity to participate in the
international projects and increase their confidence, the IDPs are pushing the
country in more international debt and causing outflow of capital.
According to him, the development partners have
included some provisions which are beyond the standards of Nepali contractors.
He criticised the IDPs for their deliberate move to exclude Nepali contractors
even in the projects implemented in the country.
ADB has called for the bids to build 87-km
Kanchanpur-Kamala road, a Rs. 18 billion project, barring Nepali contractors even
with joint-venture partnerships with foreign construction companies.
Nepali companies were excluded from participating in
the bidding process of the expansion Butwal-Narayangarh section of Mahendra
Highway.
The FCAN has demanded a clarification from the
concerned stakeholders regarding the new provisions.
Earlier, the IDP funded projects used to be divided
into many small packages in order to promote the participation of Nepali
contractors.
Singh said that the Nepali construction entrepreneurs
would have the chance to enhance their capacity and transfer technology if they
were allowed to participate in large projects with joint-venture partnership
with the foreign firms.
He said that while Nepali contractors were doing well
in some international projects, its unfortunate that they were not allowed to
participate in construction of Nepali projects.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 28 November 2018.
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