By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:The Ministry of Finance is demanding R45million from local companies who might be interested in tendering for the over R2billlion Siphofaneni-Siphambanweni road tender, triggering outcry within the private sector.

The road will be funded through a loan sourced from the African Development Bank(AfDB) and, approved by the Parliament of eSwatini.

But businesspeople in eSwatini specializing in construction “feel as the loan will be paid by taxpayers”, the tender requirements must be relaxed to allow local companies to qualify and benefit from the project.

“If Government is saying we must have R45million just to qualify for the tender, where are we going to source that money because a majority of indigenous companies are struggling financially?.This means there’s a plot here to award the tender to a foreign company yet the loan will be paid by us, taxpayers. It’s unfair!”, said a businessman who owns a construction company in eSwatini.

But invitation to tender documents seen by this Swaziland News suggest that, all bids must be accompanied by the said amount to be paid on or before 1st August 2025.

“All bids must be accompanied by a “Bid Security” of Forty-Five Million Five Hundred Thousand Emalangeni Only”, reads the tender documents in part, released by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport subsequent to approval by the Ministry of Finance.

Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli declined to comment about the matter.

But a source within the eSwatini Government Ministry of Finance told this publication that, the tender requirements were not formulated by the eSwatini Government but, comes as part of the conditions for the African Development Bank loan.

On another note, local companies are reportedly struggling financially and,the tender requirements might result to a foreign company taking over the tender, the over R2billion loan will then be paid by taxpayers including local companies.