Uganda based contractors are to benefit from 40% Standard Gauge Railway contracts,SGR Project Coordinator Engineer Perez Wamburu has revealed.
According to him,the intention is to prioritize use of Ugandan goods and services to enable private sector and citizens to actively participate in SGR development, operations and maintenances.
“National content is premised on ensuring that up to 40% of the contract value 22.7billion Euro of the SGR is retained locally by prioritizing Ugandan supplies,” Wamburu stated in a media Press conference in Kampala.
Wamburu emphasized that among the possible areas of participation for local supplies of cement steel, earthen materials, labour skilled, semi-skilled, services eg legal, communication, financial services, security service reequipment leasing, construction logistics, clearing and forwarding, tourism and hospitality among others.
Wamburu said pushing the national content agenda also targets skills development through training, educational partnerships, job opportunities, technology transfer and enterprise development by enhancing supplier capacity access to fiancé and business clinics.
Meanwhile Ministry of works will hold Standard Gauge Railway Project Symposium this Friday at Speke Resort Munyonyo under the theme “unlocking local potential through modern Rail Infrastructure” to share information and dlalogue with stakeholders about the project.
According to Works Minister Gen Katumba Wamala, the meeting will bring together private and public sector players for dialogue.
The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Project is a government project established by Cabinet Minute 107 (CT 2015) to develop a modern, integrated, and efficient railway transport system to address both the freight and passenger transportation needs of the country.
In 2014, Uganda together with her Northern Corridor Partner States of Kenya, Rwanda and later South Sudan signed a regional SGR Protocol to develop a seamless transport system interconnecting their cities as well as connecting them to the coast of Mombasa.
To date the DR Congo has also expressed interest in joining the initiative.
Uganda ratified the Protocol through Cabinet Minute 62 (CT 2015). The Project is therefore expected to discharge its mandate in the most cost effective and business-like manner and in accordance with modern management practices.