Call for open tenders
Sabah builders call for transparency in awarding of Government projects
KOTA KINABALU:
Sabah Builders Association (SBA) has called on the Federal and State Governments to be transparent when opening tenders for their various projects. Apart from helping to reduce the cost of the projects, an open tender system would prevent malpractices and ensure projects are awarded fairly and completed on or before schedule, said SBA President Tsen Kui Lin in a statement yesterday. He said this was among the main issues discussed during the recent SBA annual general meeting, when a lot of members voiced out their dissatisfaction over the present system in awarding Government projects. He said some of the members pointed out that they would only know of the existence of various Government projects after being implemented. Tsen said most of the contractors in the State, articu1arIy SBA members, have been deprived of the chance to participate in the implemental con of Government projects. He said the SBA meeting also resolved to persist in their call for the authorities concerned to reduce the levy on construction workers and abolish PKK and Pukonsa licenses, maintaining only CIDB as the other two are overlapping. The Association wants the Government to let local contractors to secure contracts for projects directly without going to sub—con and sub—sub—con, as it would reduce the cost of the projects, he said. It hopes efforts to revive the SabaContractors Consortium as a construction arm would proceed for the benefits and future of SBA members, he said, adding that more local workers should be trained through the setting up of the proposed Sabah Consortium College. Tsen said SBA is planning to either buy or build a new office building as the existing one is old and obsolete. They are also planning to establish a website for SBA to communicate with members and other trade associations.
