THE government’s Universal Services Fund (USF) sponsored schools computerisation and E-Learning programme is reportedly in limbo as the company that won the tender has its money locked up in a troubled local bank.
By Everson Mushava/Paidamoyo Muzulu
NewsDay has it on good authority that USF, which is under Postal Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), deposited an undisclosed amount of money into E-Learning Solutions’ account for the project that should see 60 rural schools computerised.
But E-Learning Solutions director Itai Masimirembwa on Wednesday told NewsDay that his firm was failing to access its cash deposited with MetBank.
He said the implementation of the government-funded project had stalled due to cash challenges the company was encountering.
“We have already done some work in three provinces, Masvingo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South. We are having problems in accessing the money that was deposited in the bank for the project,” Masimirembwa said.
He, however, refused to disclose how much money was involved although NewsDay has it on good authority that E-Learning Solutions won a $14 million tender to implement the project over three years.
The E-Learning Solutions project was being implemented under the banner Connect-a-School Connect-a-Community and involved providing computer laboratory furniture and fittings, solar back-up power installations, 80 laptops per school which came preloaded with e-learning educational material, Internet connectivity and training of teachers in rural schools.
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The bank has been experiencing serious cash challenges since last year, leading to long queues at almost all of its branches as depositors were forced to make small cash withdrawals per day.
Efforts to get a comment from the bank’s chief executive officer were fruitless as he was not reachable.
The USF is a fund that collects a levy from the gross revenue of all telecommunication firms for use to develop communication infrastructure in remote areas usually shunned by investors.
The fund has also contracted several firms among others Likusasa Engineering & Contracting (Pty) Ltd, to carry out the fund’s infrastructure development projects, a Japanese firm, NEC to supply backhaul equipment and South African company SatCom to supply satellite phones.
Both USF and Potraz fall under the Transport and Infrastructure Development ministry.
Potraz, which controls the over $50 million fund, could not release the fund’s 2012 audited statements or the 2013 unaudited statements to NewsDay.
Cash challenges stall project
THE implementation of the government-funded project had stalled due to cash challenges E-Learning Solutions was encountering.
The E-Learning Solutions project involved providing computer laboratory furniture, solar back-up power installations, 80 laptops per school which came preloaded with e-learning educational material, Internet connectivity and training of teachers in rural schools.
In our story SPB caught in $50 million storm in yesterday’s issue, we erroneously referred to E-Learning Solutions as E-Solutions. We sincerely apologise to E-Solutions for any inconvenience that may have been caused. — Editor
