By KETRA KALUNGA
PROCUREMENT of goods and services must be done in a transparent manner to avoid cancellation of tenders after a supplier involved fails to deliver, Private Sector Development Association (PSDA) chairperson, Yusuf Dodia has said.
Mr Dodia urged the state to seriously pursue the $9 million refund for undelivered dredgers from MCD Civil and Mechanical Engineering.
In 2015, Government paid about US$9, 240, 370 to MCD leaving a balance of US$2, 635, 430 but to date the supplier has not delivered the dredgers, prompting Government to cancel the deal.
The money has however not been refunded.
Mr Dodia said Government should ensure that due diligence was done on suppliers engaged to ascertain the ability to deliver on the tender.
He said local contractors should be given preference for some tenders.
He however said the company’s track record and history to deliver on projects should be checked thoroughly.
“The government must make sure that the procurement of goods is done very transparently, due diligence should be done on the supplier because sometimes you find that a company registered a few days before the tender opening such a supplier would have no capacity to deliver,” he said.
Mr Dodia said Government should learn lessons from the transaction involving dredgers and should ensure that the contractor was penalized.
‘TENDERS MUST NOT SIDELINE LOCALS’
