29 Jul 2014

Small, medium as well as non-registered businesses in the country will continue to lose out on tenders such as the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) car park and car wash concession.

This comes against the backdrop of a recent CAAB tender for the provision of a car park and car wash concession at its Francistown and Gaborone airports.

Responding to a questionnaire, the CAAB public affairs manager, Mr Modipe Nkwe said the primary duty of their car park tender was a paid car parking system design, installation, operation and management on a concession agreement.

“The car wash is a value-adding component to the concession,” said Mr Nkwe adding that the paid car parking of airports was high technology, with high security and it was therefore not to be understated to assume it belongs to “imply car wash operators.”

He stated that CAAB decided to package car park with car wash because the two could not be separated as both businesses required car parkings. He added that the car parking business was a new business concept in Botswana as revealed by their market research.

“In Botswana, we only have one of its kinds and it was designed and constructed by an international company,” he added.Mr Nkwe said the project is capital intensive as it requires Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) System and automated pay stations, computerized vehicle recognition, computerized ticketing, computer networking and auditable accounting system

Furthermore, he said, the business does not fall within those reserved for small business operators.

He explained that the tender was never intended for small business operators and noted that a non-refundable P1000 fee for the tender and bidding documents was  affordable and consistent with the nature and value of the business and as well as CAAB’s cost of preparing the tender.Mr Nkwe said the CAAB, like any other parastatal, was guided by government policies such as Citizen Economic Empowerment, but this particular tender could not be reserved for small businesses because of its scope.

Ms Shiellah Moribame, the public affairs, marketing and communications manager of Botswana Confederation of Commerce Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) said in response to a BOPA questionnaire that her organisation was against complicated tender procedures for all businesses -- small, micro and medium enterprises.Ms Moribame said BOCCIM was therefore engaging government to simplify tender procedures and reduce compliance costs for businesses, including small medium and micro enterprises.

On non-registered businesses such as car washes, Ms Moribame explained that the process of registering a business has improved and it was now possible to register a business within a day or two and the average amount to be paid to register a business name is about P200.

BOCCIM therefore engages informal businesses to register and compete for both public and private contracts.

“BOCCIM encourages all companies in Botswana to become members, strengthen the voice of the private sector and improve the environment so that it becomes easy to start and operate business,” she added.

A small non-registered car wash business operator in Francistown, Mr Smart Setlhako, who started his car wash business in 2005, said he was willing to tender for such projects as CAAB’s, but unfortunately the odds do not favour him.Another of the car wash operators, Mr Kelebogile Kelebetse, said it was hard and difficult for him to try his luck because of the scope, terms and conditions of the tender given under the statement of requirements.

As for Mr Kgomotso Tlhalefang of Letlapa la Mine car wash, he said he was not aware of the tender and would have tried his luck as his company was registered and has all the necessary equipment to run a proper and successful carwash. ENDS