MINISTRY of Agriculture officials were yesterday quizzed by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for single sourcing on a two-year running contract to supply fertiliser to Southern Province when the company did not meet the conditions advanced by the ministry to obtain the no objection to direct bid.
The officials were also quizzed on why they have been contracting the same companies to supply fertiliser under FISP since 2016.
PAC also lambasted the public officials for causing the State to lose K4, 480, 000 when 2, 240 farmers redeemed packs more than once in the 2020/2021 farming season.
The ministry’s director for Agribusiness, Mr John Mulongoti, who is the coordinator for FISP had a hard time explaining the anomalies.
Speaking when the team from the ministry appeared before PAC to answer to irregularities cited in the 2020 Auditor General’s report, a member of the committee, Mr Likando Mufalali questioned why Alpha Commodities was single sourced when the Zambia Public Procurement Agency (ZPPA) advised that other bidders should not be closed out.
Mr Mulongoti explained that Alpha Commodities was single sourced because the ministry was behind schedule with regards the FISP programme.
He said Alpha wrote to the ministry that it had available fertiliser in its warehouses at the time when the ministry desperately needed the commodity.
Mr Mulongoti however could not explain why other eligible suppliers were closed out.
And Head of Procurement, Ms Priscilla Chisunka, only said that due diligence was undertaken to the effect that Alpha had fertiliser readily available.
PAC chairperson, Warren Mwambazi, who is Bwana Mkubwa MP and Chavuma MP Victor Lumayi also quizzed the officials on why ZPPA guidance was ignored.
But the team, led by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Green Mbozi maintained a deafening silence forcing the committee to move to the next item.
The team also had a hard time explaining why the same suppliers were being contracted and why some farmers were allowed to redeem twice resulting in a K4 million loss
Author
