Africa-Press – Namibia. PRIME minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila yesterday called on government offices, ministries and agencies to ensure that complaints and irregularities regarding public procurement are addressed.
“The government must demonstrate openness and equal opportunities to bidders. Complaints and wrongdoing regarding procurement must be addressed.
“Capacity building must also be enhanced to address experienced shortcomings,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said at the opening of her annual meeting with directors in Windhoek.
The prime minister’s appeal comes at a time when public procurement is under scrutiny over alleged favouritism.
Debate is raging after it emerged that the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) was in the process of awarding a multibillion-dollar medical supply tender to a company with seemingly no capacity to manufacture condoms and surgical gloves.
The CPBN has since announced it is reviewing its decision to award the contract to Amnics Trading (Pty) Ltd to supply the Ministry of Health and Social Services with condoms and gloves.
This was after the procurement board revealed that more than 20 companies which put in bids for the contract submitted requests for reconsideration of the awarded contract.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the government has decided to support locally produced goods.
She therefore called on government offices, ministries and agencies to implement the code of good practice, “which has also the element of empowering local entities. While pursuing this code, quality and fair price should not be compromised”.
Meanwhile, the prime minister informed executive directors and accounting officers to acquaint themselves with citizens’ living conditions.
“The fiscal and economic development of our country has undergone severe shocks. We must ensure that we prioritise the implementation programmes necessary to support the growth of our economy and optimise livelihoods by doing more with less,” she said.
In addition, the premier reminded accounting officers of their role in ensuring the maintenance of public infrastructure.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the government needs to operationalise alternative delivery methods, such as public-private partnership model, to construct needed infrastructure.
“As the custodians and overseers
of public financial management, you are entrusted with a very important policy tool, which is aimed at discharging benefits to the citizenry, but also ensuring the sustainability of government finances, through prudent and sound management,” the prime minister said.
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