Dear Editor,
THE current Procurement Act must be revisited to avoid goods being overpriced, most importantly to empower and employ majority youths by making it a policy that 20 percent to be strictly for youths as preferential procurement.
I have observed how the current Procurement Act has robbed our treasury with overpriced goods and services, furthermore disadvantaging our youths for a fair participation in business opportunities.
Clearly, the Procurement Act favours the already established business institutions or foreigners with huge financial muscle.
The issue of Fire Tenders had nothing to do with corruption but everything to do with the current Act which clearly seem to be weak.
What is more shocking and upsetting is the fact that there is a growing trend being demonstrated by our leaders to silence the youth when it comes to employment and empowerment by saying youths are future leaders.
When youths are empowered in both business and employment opportunities then we can say they are future leaders but let’s not silence them with a seemingly now boring mere ancient slogan of saying they are the future leaders.
Failure by our Members of Parliament to consider amending the current Procurement Act then they should have themselves to blame for goods and services being overpriced and seeing our youths languishing in abject poverty.
The Procurement Act should be revisited. For example if youths want to participate in a tender and it’s documented to say that 20 percent is for youths as preferential procurement then controlling officers will feel protected.
The government can also extend this making it be part of the C.E.O and other controlling officers’ key performance indicators when assessing them.
The PF government should make ministers, C.E.O’s and all controlling officers accountable to the Parliamentary Select Committee to be reporting on the number of contracts awarded to youths’ enterprises.
MAXWELL CHONGU,
PF DIE HARD.
Author
