Local contractors have cried foul over government’s decision to award the reconstruction of the Savage Street Bridge that recently collapsed to a Chinese company asserting that the much talked about Local Content Policy to empower local businesses is a sham.

According to some of the contractors, they meet all the requirements to reconstruct the Savage Street Bridge but wondered and cannot understand why the contract was awarded to a Chinese company.

The local contractors gave as examples some of the successful road construction works they have undertaken like the Hill Cut Road, Atlantic Juba Bridge, Babadorie -Regent Road, Kono Township, Kabala Township etc. and that reconstructing the Savage Street Bridge is a minor engineering job that can even be performed by an apprentice.

According to the local contractors, how can they compete with their colleagues in the sub-region when their own government has disadvantaged them by not awarding them contracts adding that the much-talked about Local Content Policy is a lip service.

The local contractors continued that they have performed exemplary well in implementing major engineering and construction works to the applause and admiration of not only locals but even foreign engineering firms and called on government to enact a law that all local construction works should be done by Sierra Leoneans as is the case in other countries.

They asserted that only locals can make sacrifices and do the best work for their country irrespective of any amount of money or other considerations reiterating that foreigners cannot love Sierra Leone more than Sierra Leoneans in addition to the fact that locals better understand the topography and other advantages at their disposal.    

Credit: Owl Newspaper

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