TWCA pushes for prompt payments

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Tanzania Women Contractors Association (TWCA) has called on the government to ensure prompt payment for completed projects, saying it will help maintain quality standards and allow women-owned companies to take on new work with confidence.

The call was made by TWCA President, Engineer Judith Odunga, during the association’s fifth anniversary annual meeting and conference in Dar es Salaam.

The event brought together women contractors from across the country, along with representatives from the Contractors Registration Board (CRB), the Tanzania United Contractors and Allied Services Association (TUCASA), and officials from TARURA and TANROADS.

Eng Odunga said timely payment after submitting project completion certificates is critical for contractors’ performance.

“We want to deliver our projects with pride and show our President the impact of her support. Prompt payment will help us achieve that,” she said.

She said that on August 15 this year, women-owned companies will begin work on a 20-kilometre tarmac road along the Ruanda–Idiwili route in Songwe Region.

“When women contractors take on a project, we deliver it with honesty and the required quality,” she added.

Eng Odunga credited President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration for creating an enabling environment for women to participate in national development.

She pointed to recent reforms allowing local contractors, both male and female, to bid for projects worth up to 50bn/-, up from the previous 10bn/-limit.

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“In the past, large projects were often reserved for foreign companies. Today, local contractors have a fair chance, and women are increasingly being trusted with significant work,” she said.

She further said the government’s decision to increase advance payments from 15 per cent to 30 per cent of a project’s value, subject to the employer’s recommendation are among the gains.

The change, she said, gives contractors greater financial stability at the start of projects. Eng Odunga further said that TWCA and other associations will continue to work with the government to secure more opportunities for women, including specific projects allocated to women-led companies.

Speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Eng Aloyce Mtei said the government remains committed to empowering women contractors by strengthening policies and providing targeted training.

“We will continue to enhance opportunities for women in all areas of the construction industry and ensure they are equipped with the skills needed to meet modern demands,” he said.

For TWCA, the anniversary was a celebration of progress and a reminder that the fight for equal opportunities in the construction sector is ongoing.

The association’s members left the conference determined to keep building not only roads and bridges but also a future where women play a leading role in shaping Tanzania’s infrastructure.