By KOMBE CHIPINDE and FLAVIOR KANUNGO
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema says some former ministers colluded with permanent secretaries to give each other government contracts.
President Hichilema said this yesterday when he opened a workshop for ministers and permanent secretaries.
“I am asking us to restore order in the public sector procurement. K12 Billion contracts entered into for feeder roads… contracts were given to people who have never owned a shovel or a pick. People who don’t know how to construct roads. Some were paid 20 per cent in advance and they sit in that parliament making noise. Very courageous people. I am sure in their genetic material they were meant to have Dutch courage. If it were me, I would not even open my mouth in that parliament,” said President Hichilema.
“That was the money they were flashing, which you saw before elections. I wouldn’t say a word. I would be so embarrassed but since shame is not shared equally among us, we have to enforce measures to collect that money,” he said.
President Hichilema said that it was surprising that former ministers were mocking that he had failed to manage the country.
“They are making noise in that house called parliament. They are taunting us and saying ‘we are still running the country,’ Ah let us see who is running the country,” he said.
And President Hichilema revealed that some contractors that were being approached to deliver on contracts for which the previous government paid for had begun threatening government officials.
“I turn to fertliser contracts. The suppliers that never supplied fertiliser are now mocking us. The PS who signed letters, authorised payment against the contract is now colluding with the suppliers to mock the new government. What is that?” he said.
And President Hichilema said that there was need to meet the National Road Fund officials (NRFA) to establish how payments were done.
“Are they here (NRFA)? So we have a date with them. NRFA comes under which ministry? …What exactly are the processes that allowed this to happen? Certainlyto recover money from such issues.
I don’t see it maybe I am not normal. This is cheapening the country honestly.”
President Hichilema said the only way his government would reconstruct the country to identify the problems and corresponding remedies which his government had embarked on.
He said the leak of financial resource needed to be stopped.
“Ministers are suppliers in the government procurement sector. They are the ones sitting to control expenditure and they are the suppliers,” Mr Hichilema said.
“If Zambians knew what was happening in the last 10 years. They would have rioted against some people.”
And Auditor General Dr Dick Sichembe, who gave a presentation before the president of the processes involved in procurement system said the major problems that had marred the procurement system was lack of transparency when bidding.
“Biased and compromised bid evaluation processes and composition of evaluation teams. Pressure or the need to complete the work urgently leading to failure to obtain required approvals and clearance. Lack of a standardized credit policy. We don’t have a proper credit policy in government,” said Dr Sichembe.
Meanwhile, President Hakainde Hichilema has proposed some changes to procurement laws and procedures to serve the people better.
Mr Hichilema has also directed ministers and permanent secretaries to restore order in the public procurement sector by identifying factors which have led to poor performance.
President Hichilema said reports of over priced goods, poor quality of materials and awarding of contracts to incompetent contractors must not be heard of in his administration.
“I know that you are under pressure from various companies who depended on government for contracts and tenders but you have to do the right thing because I am watching you closely and so you have no reason to continue with the bad that existed before you,” the President said.
And in giving a vote of thanks, Minister of Justice Mulambo Haimbe said public procurement is a sensitive part of government system and if not well managed it can be a centre of corruption and lead to loss of resources.
Mr Haimbe encouraged other ministers and permanent secretaries to work as a team in uplifting the standards of public procurement sector.
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