Govt reaffirms support for women engineers

DAR ES SALAAM: THE government has reiterated its commitment to engaging local contractors and consultants, especially women, in construction projects through a local content strategy aimed at retaining a greater share of project benefits within the country.

Works Minister Innocent Bashungwa made this statement during the 9th Tanzania Women Engineers Convention and Exhibition (TAWECE) 2024, which was organised by the Institution of Engineers Tanzania – Women Chapter, at the JNICC in Dar es Salaam on Thursday.

He noted that the government has made significant strides in engaging women in the industry by creating self-employment opportunities, offering reskilling programmes and providing construction education at universities.

“We take pride in your achievements and acknowledge the substantial contributions of local professionals. Through our Local Content Strategy, we aim to fully integrate you into construction projects across the country,” Mr Bashungwa said.

The minister praised the Women Chapter for involving students in the convention, describing it as an excellent strategy to encourage girls to build confidence and engage more in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

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“As of July 2024, there are 38,233 engineers in Tanzania, with 5,006 being women, which is approximately 15.07 per cent. I urge you to continue these efforts and reach out to those in rural areas to further increase the number of female engineers,” he added.

Mr Bashungwa noted that the Ministry has completed and implemented the Local Content Strategy. Recent short-term and medium-term measures include amendments to the Public Procurement Act of 2023, which raised the limit for local contractors from 10bn/- to 50bn/-.

Additionally, he mentioned improvements in tender documents by TANROADS, which include reducing the annual turnover requirement and replacing Bid Security with Bid Securing Declaration, and Performance Bank Guarantees with Performance Bond or Performance Securing Declaration.

Regarding payments, the minister reported ongoing discussions with banks to facilitate advance payments for contractors, allowing them to commence work without delay while the government addresses pending payments.

He also highlighted the sixth phase government’s commitment, under President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, to enhance infrastructure, including roads, bridges, railways, air transport, ports, and industrial construction, along with implementing major strategic projects in water, electricity, transport, and logistics sectors.

“These projects demand significant and active participation from engineers of all genders. Tanzanian engineers will continue to play vital roles in executing our national plans,” he emphasised.

Zanzibar Chief Secretary Engineer Zena Ahmed praised the Women Chapter for encouraging girls to pursue science education from a young age, noting that early passion for science and mathematics helps students continue their studies through to university.

Chairperson of the Institution of Engineers Tanzania – Women Chapter, Engineer Rehana Juma Yahaya explained that the conference aims to address the successes and challenges faced by female engineers in the country.

“We hold this meeting annually to engage engineers from across Tanzania and female students in science subjects. Our goal is to inspire more female students to study science and increase the number of female engineers,” she said.

“The theme of this year’s TAWECE is ‘Harnessing the Strength of Women Engineers to Drive Progress Towards a Sustainable World.'”