INFRASTRUCTURE, Housing, and Urban Development Minister Charles Milupi says he has canceled the tender advert for routine road maintenance because only the same people were being awarded contracts.

In a statement shared on his Facebook page, Monday, Milupi said it was unacceptable that some individuals were the only ones getting routine maintenance jobs during the previous administration.

“Fellow citizens, over the weekend, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Mongu, I decided to cancel the tender advert for routine road maintenance because only the same people were getting those jobs. This was in response to a question from National Association of Medium and Small-Scale Contractors (NAMSSC) Western Chapter vice-secretary Ms Veronica Namposya, who wanted to know your government’s position on support towards youth contractors,” he said.

“We explained that the government was devising a plan of ensuring that no contractor is sidelined whether start up or already established. What was obtaining during the previous administration where the same individuals were the only ones getting routine maintenance jobs was unacceptable.”

Milupi stated that the action taken would level the playing field and ensure that all contractors were given an opportunity.

“To level the playing field, and to ensure all contractors access jobs, we canceled that tender advert so that we give an opportunity to others who were left out. I have since urged NAMSSC to report to the Ministry if the game of awarding contracts to the same people persists, so that we take action,” said Milupi.