Contractor sees bright future in industrialisation
What you need to know:
- The privately-owned National Engineering Company (Neco) Ltd which was founded in 1967 hopes to reap from the industrialization drive. The managing of the firm Mr Irishad Sirguroh says contractors have a lot to do in terms of industrial designs, manufacturing as well as erecting the buildings for industrialization.
Dar es Salaam. Contractors hope industrialisation is a good opportunity for them to make profits.
National Engineering Company (Neco) managing director Irishad Sirguroh says: “We expect a better business….it’s indeed a good opportunity for us. If someone wants to put up a sunflower processing plant or a building for modern livestock keeping, he/she will eventually come to us for the job, which is good for me an engineer.”
Neco was founded in 1967 by Twentsche Overseas Trading and Sarantis & Panayatopoulus Company Limited.
When Tanzania announced the Arusha Declaration to pursue its socialist policy, Neco was nationalised.
In October 1997, it was privatised to MTA of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Neco has grown into a local leading in design, manufacturing and erecting company in structural steel, steel tanks, mechanical and machine engineering.
Mr Sirguroh speaks about quality prioritisation.
He says for Tanzania to build sustainable industries, engineers should abide by international standards.
“Going for cheap things is not always good.”
The company has been involved in a number of projects in Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda and DR Congo. From industrial infrastructure to oil storage facilities, the firm boasts of an outstanding performance.
It is taking part in big government projects such as the standard-gauge railway construction, Bagamoyo seaport, and will be a sub-contractor in the crude oil pipeline project from Hoima in Uganda to Tanga.
Other outstanding industrial projects which Neco has operated in Tanzania include supply, fabrication and erection of super steel structure of Rolls Royce Power station at Ashanti Gold Mine in Geita.
It has also undertaken projects involving institutions such as Coca-Cola, Kilimanjaro International Airport, oil and gas companies.
“Currently, we have an ongoing project at Kigamboni, in the city, fabricating and erecting fuel storage tanks,” he says.
According to Mr Sirguroh, in five years to come his company would contribute more to key sectors such as agriculture, oil and gas.
Mr Sirguroh stresses the use of locally experts to develop the knowledge economy and provide employment to Tanzanians.
“With few international partners, our workforce is about 80 per cent Tanzanian. In our sites you can see people recruited locally.”
He emphasised the importance of extractive industries.
