Author: ELKANA KUHENGA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Engineers Registration Board (ERB) has issued a one-month notice showing intention to deregister 14 engineering consultant firms which failed to pay their annual fees.
ERB notice showed the companies mostly from overseas operating in the country without following laid down procedures, let alone the Board laws and regulations including paying annual fees and submit annual returns.
The Board said firms should abide by the Engineers Registration Act No 15 of 1997, as amended by Act No 24 of 2007, which stipulated, among other thing, paying of annual fees and other returns in time.
“Under the Act, it is illegal to practice engineering if not registered with the Board and not possess a valid practicing licence,” the statement showed.
According to the statement issued by the Board after August 23 those, who would fail to abide by the regulations would be deregistered from practicing, unless they clear their registration status, pay outstanding fees, and submit annual returns and corresponding penalty.
Also ERB directed “all employers and users of engineering services to stop employing engineers or engineering firms that do not possess valid practicing licenses”.
The firms from overseas were named as Dorsch Consult, Poyry Environmental GmbH, Essential Expertise, Seureca Consulting Engineers, SAI Consulting Engineers Pvt Ltd and Grontmiji/ Carl Bro AS.
Others are Sheladia Associates Inc, Wanjohi Consulting Engineers, Royal Haskoning DHV Pty Ltd, Worley Parson RSA (Pty), CDM International Inc, DASANI Consultants Co. Ltd, LKC Engineering Ltd and Sering Ingegneria S.R.L.
The Board said after the expiry period, they will engage a debt collector to recover unpaid government revenue.
Four years ago ERB revoked registration of 330 engineers and 37 companies over misconduct that has led to 9.1bn/- loss to the government.
The engineers and companies deregistered have entered into a dubious contract regarding the construction of a 4.85-kilometre road in Bariadi Township.
ERB is a regulatory body established by an Act of Parliament and has been given the responsibility of registering engineers and engineering consulting firms and monitoring their engineering activities, conduct and ethics.
The Board can also withdraw the right to practice the profession from the register of engineers and engineering consulting firms for those who contravene the Act or fail to abide by regulations and code of conduct and ethics.
The engineering consulting firm and engineer are required to pay their annual fees by 1st January of each year; failure of non-payment for two years shall cause the Board to delete
