German Engineer Seeks Partnership With Liberian Contractors

German construction companies association based in the Federal Republic of Germany has expressed interest in establishing a joint venture with Liberian construction companies.

According to the Liberia News Agency, a German construction expert, Mr. Heinz Rittmann, made the disclosure recently when he spoke at the end of a two-day international workshop on the empowerment of Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs).

The workshop was held at the Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC) on Capitol Hill, Monrovia on the theme: “Reducing the risk of joint venture failure.”

Over 40 persons from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone participated.

Mr. Rittmann said the establishment of the proposed joint venture with Liberian, Guinean and Sierra Leonean construction engineers will help build their capacities in the areas of road construction, proper maintenance, water projects, among others.

He said such joint ventures will empower African construction companies to properly manage funds that will be giving them for projects from governments and the private sectors in their respective countries.

He said it is regrettable to note that African construction companies are lagging behind in terms of equipment, but they have the trained manpower required to implement their projects.

The workshop was financed by the European Union Business Clmate program in the interest of African construction companies.

Mr. Rittmann said during the workshop, the participants were taught in the areas of project background preparation, joint venture establishment, introduction and lifecycle, culture dimensions, meetings and negotiations, management process, planning and control, among others.

The German engineer said in order to adequately make African construction companies more functional, the workshop also highlighted the need for accountability and training.