The Roads Directorate will host the second edition of the Construction Expo, Exhibition and Conference on October 14-16 in Maseru.
The three-day event brings together government officials, financiers, insurers, contractors, consultants, suppliers, manufacturers, researchers and academia.
Roads Directorate Director General Linehella Ntŝere told a press conference yesterday that the expo should be viewed as the beginning of a conversation, not the end.
Ntŝere said the real measure of its success will be the partnerships established, technologies, knowledge shared and innovations eventually implemented on the roads.
“The expo should benefit not only the Roads Directorate but all road agencies responsible for planning, construction and maintaining roads.
“This will be an opportunity for agencies to share experience and develop a common understanding of emerging technologies and have a consistent approach to material selection, specifications, testing and quality control, pavement design and road maintenance,” he noted.
Ntŝere said event aims to boost the capacity of the local construction industry so that it can compete favourably against international contractors.
The expo also seeks to reduce dependency on scarce conventional materials and improve the resilience and sustainability of the national road network, he added, citing that innovation in road construction could have benefits beyond individual projects.
He cautioned that reducing dependency on imported materials and/or technologies where suitable local alternatives exist could contribute to retaining more value within the local economy.
