PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged procurement and supply practitioners to discard the habit of awarding themselves tenders without following proper procedures.
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Officiating at the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply fifth annual conference in Victoria Falls yesterday, Mnangagwa said attaining the Vision 2030 required procurement and supply strategies that sustained the present growth impetus.
“Procurement practitioners must source their requisite goods and services from suppliers cognisant of the broader socio-economic environment,” he said.
“In the Second Republic, procurement is an important economic tool which must be leveraged to effectively allocate the limited resources and managed public expenditure. While the concept of ethical and responsible procurement is not new, the increase in global sourcing opportunities highlights serious issues in procurement practices.”
Mnangagwa said there was need to curb bid rigging, complementary bidding and inflation of prices, adding that he found it disturbing that in some cases, contracts were awarded without following proper procedures while in others, committee members doubled as contractors.
Keep Reading
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
“Such ethical improprieties will not be allowed to take root, more so in this phase we have entered into as a country,” he warned.
The President exhorted procurement and supply representatives to be involved throughout the planning and implementation phases of developmental programmes.
He also urged them to develop a culture of promoting domestic products without compromising quality of goods and services.
“You must inculcate a culture of buying local products and promote our domestic industry across all sectors. Equally, women and youths must be supported, nurtured and viewed as partners in businesses and key cogs in the productions process. This will create sustainable local supply chain linkages,” he said.
Mnangagwa said the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act of 2017 led to transformation of the State Procurement Board to the current Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe with a drive to improve efficiency, transparency, accountability and value for money and all stakeholders were encouraged to comply with the new policy provisions.