Tanzania’s works minister challenges architects, surveyors

Dar es Salaam. Architecture and Quantity Surveyors Registration Board (AQRB) has been directed to incorporate its experts into local authorities so as to ensure that land surveying meets the country's set standards.

The minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Prof Makame Mbarawa, said this when he was launching the seventh board in the city.

He said local authorities only issue building permits without looking at essential factors that are required for city planning, because they are not experts.

"If AQRB experts are incorporated into local authorities, the country's city planning will be assured," he said.

He further directed the board to look into revising provisional charges by laws in order to reduce their high fees which has been a stumbling block in encouraging the public to utilise surveyors.

"A majority of Tanzanians either are not aware of the existence of surveyors or because of the high charges that's why they don't use their services," he said.

Meanwhile, AQRB’s new board chairman Ludigija Boniface said the challenge they were facing is that most municipal councils have officials who don’t involve experts in architecture and quantity survey in construction works.

He noted that a majority of Tanzanians are not aware of the importance of the profession during planning and construction.

"We call on the government to complete process of identifying architecture and quantity surveyors in the public servants system," Dr Boniface said.