Africa-Press – Tanzania. MINISTER for Water Mr Jumaa Aweso has banned all heads of department from Public Procurement units and institutions under the ministry and its institutions from awarding tenders to incompetent contractors.
He said awarding the bids to incompetent contractors has been tarnishing the image of the ministry because such firms have been implementing the projects below standards.
The minister issued the directives here at the official opening of a two- day symposium to public procurements officers. He said some officials have been awarding tenders for execution of various water projects to contractors who are unable to do the work, causing the projects to be of poor standard.
“You have an important role to play in execution’s of water projects in the country, I urge you to pay close attention to your work and you should not compromise with procurement laws and regulations,” he said.
He said water projects in some parts of the country have been taking too long to be completed, a problem that is caused by various factors including delay in announcing the tenders without good reason.
“The best benchmark for a procurement unit for an employee is to see that his or her work goes smoothly with no interruption,” he said, urging procurement unit staff to work in unity, cooperation and love.
He urged the staff to work professionally and ethically, warning all those who fail to carry out their duties effectively.
“If you see a statement or order issued by a leader does not work, follow the leader and tell him or her, and don’t be afraid of him or her,” he urged.
He urged the staff to have leadership techniques that will enable them to communicate with the government and different groups in the community in order to improve their performance.
For his part, Chairman of Procurement Officers from the Ministry of Water, Mr Poas Kirangi said the conference was the second one after the first that was held in Arusha city last year.
He urged participants not to have too much projects during the bidding process and strive to complete the tender procedures and implementation of water projects on time.
“Some government authorities perform poorly in public procurement processes and sometimes it is due to too much directives issued by their supervisors which interrupt the entire process,” he said.
“We ask that instead of our offices being called procurement units, they should be recognized as a procurement department like any other department in the government,” he urged.
For More News And Analysis About Tanzania Follow Africa-Press
