Two term President of the Bahamian Contractors’ Association (BCA), Stephen Wrinkle, has told contractors here that they should be very vigilant about foreigners taking local projects and pointed to significant benefits that can be derived from being part of an Association.
Wrinkle was speaking at the general meeting of the Builders and Contractors Association at the Fort Young Hotel on Thursday Evening.
“Only through dialogue, partnership, and unity will we have an impact on our profession,” he said. “Governments listen to numbers and strength lies in a membership who speaks collectively.”
He also warned about Foriegn Direct Investments (FDI). “When the FDI developer comes to your country and says ‘we will hire 200 of your people’ and they come down and take 200 of our carpenters, masonists, painters, plumbers … now when we get a job we have no body to work for us,” he stated.
Wrinkle pointed to a number of benefits that could be accrued if contractors unite. Among them the necessity of certification and licensing of contractors, reactive government contractor needs, protection from foreign contractors and joint venture requirements for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects, contractors training in education programs, LIN LAWS to protect contractors from clients and for works completed, among others.
Meantime Chairman of BCAD, Kelvin Henderson, said plans are being made to have a regionally recognized certificate for those in the construction industry.
“The Caribbean Community Association (CCA) has vowed to foster closer relations and not only this for us to develop a curriculum that …when contractors sit this exam can move any where through CARICOM and be recognized,” he said.
According to Henderson, the region is aiming for training and the technical capacity of contractors in the CARICOM and Dominca cannot be left behind.
The CCA include Bahamas, Trinidad, St Vincent and Jamacia.
DOminicans have to be aware of the chinese coming to Dominica.They will take your land take your water take your fish take every leaf and then sell it back too you.
Competency Based Education and Training should be looked at more seriously in Dominica. You don’t only train people technical skills but also teach social and capacity building skills. Most of our construction workers are getting reaped off big time by the most affluent contractors and nothing is being done.
By the way, who sets the price of a mason or painter? Everybody seems to be doing what they want and the public is at their mercy.
BBCAD, when you are looking for reform it should be from all angles.I am in full agreement with your association for trying to regularize the construction landscape but it should be a collaborative effort.
Please advocate to government that they should begin to focus on TVET education more seriously. WE are way way off the mark as far as TEchnical and Vocational Education is concerned but somebody at Cornwall Street and Stockform eating a big money. Education Division step up……..
Bahamas and the rest of the Caribbean were buolt by foreigners and forein investment.
We in Dominica had maintained a Dominica for Dominica mentality and we have not move pre-independence.
We are now seeing some changes to the Domincan landsscape , praise God to friendly governement and now we have a foreigner coming in to Dominca and tell us beware of foreigners.
LIFE IS TOO FUNNY
Quality of construction issues need to be addressed. There are too many contractors that think that they can do almost anything and the quality turns out to be poor and costly for the homeowner.
So let me get this straight…. this guy says wants contractors to join his association (and pay dues), and when offered a job, he wants them to turn it down just in case the “local community” might need to hire them? Am I missing something or has this guy lost it?
Imagine the Skeritt DLP Govt. borrows $27,000,000.00 from China to build a State Palace – No economic benefits. Dominicans have to pay back the loan, but their Govt. awards the contract to a foreign Chinese construction Co. No tender of project. No opportunity for local contractors to bid. Locals remain unemployed while the jobs are given to the Chinese. What madness!!!!!
Same situation with the building of the State College. Public Works disintegrating and brokes like hell. PWQ, our house-hold name for road works, has also been forced to wallow by the wayside. A few Dominicans in power doing those things to their own people. Heartless.
Why does this DLP Govt. cast aside its people in favour of foreign Cos.? Geothermal exploration in foreign control. Electricity in foreign hands and soon our land, water and people will be sold before they know what is happening. Dominica not for Dominicans. Dominica for sale.
That’s cuz the gov’t sell the DA soul to the Chiney man…their plagues have already come to DA and it will kill us all in the end….economically and enviromentally…then we will die from their imported food.
the overs contractors must get the jobs cause the polititians who take a cut of the money the contractors make also overseas contractors have the capability of paying bigger bribes to the politions to secure the contracts. i know cause it happen to my dad he went to government to apply for a contract to build a few of the housing projects on the island anf the politition in charge ( ill not call names ) tell him how much he payign him every month from the profits of the contract
Talk is cheap. In the small islands it’s every nun for himself and the politicians he serve. The politicians will never allow such operating organization because it will hamper their under able deals where they assign government contracts to their business and friends. Leblanc and other know exactly what is happening . One company seem to be getting all the contracts and that is so only because minister touch it , the Black moorish brothers are on the board of directors.essentially the company is owned by members of the cabinet.
This is just what happened during the UWP days. Dorine hubby was getting contracts just workers ca fen bagaii touspa tout. Under this present administration Offshore Seem to be the only Sherrie in town. Hmmmmm. Corruption corruption Will never allow any such regulatory organization and even if the organization is established it will be yet another paper doll.
This article ignores some fundamental issues that have plagued contractors in some of our Caribbean Islands.
It would be nice if you can share some of these issues with some of us who are not to familiar with contracting. That way we can have a better understanding of the day to day problems you all face.
Maybe then we will be more in solidarity with you.
chinese brush cutting our road sides and making gutters…..
And there should be a Better Business Bureau that rates contractors and posts on a website legitimate complaints so that potential employers have a place to go to see who is reputable and who is not. Local contractors should indeed be protected from predation and so should employers.