03 Dec 2015

The Local Procurement Scheme (LPS) seeks to empower the disadvantaged groups, which include youth, people living with disability, women and rural dwellers  in business through public procurement preferential treatment.

Addressing the Jwaneng Full Council meeting recently, public relations and education Manager at Public Procument and Assets Disposal Board (PPADB), Ms Ditapole Chibua-Tsheboeng urged women, youth, and people living with disability to take advantage of the opportunity and apply for tenders to improve their livelihoods as their conditions carries a three per cent discount in price preference.

Ms Chibua-Tsheboeng said the scheme compliments government’s Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) and citizen economic empowerment policy.

She said government saw a need to promote opportunities for small and micro enterprises to fully participate in the procurement process and grow as a business as well as support poverty eradication initiatives.

She however cautioned the council as a buying entity, to apply international best practices of tendering and good governance. She encouraged councils to avoid complicated tendering documents so as to allow the above mentioned group to participate fairly.

Ms Chibua-Tsheboeng highlighted that the adjudication board within entities should look for quality and value for money.

“Be cautious that you do not award a tender to a company that has underestimated because it might fail to deliver due to budget or overestimating unnecessarily,” she added.

She said the balance of power that includes price and quality should be a core business in awarding tenders as opposed to taking the lowest bidder. She further said procurement should be sector driven and the local capacity to supply should be exhausted before going national.

Ms Chibua-Tsheboeng urged the council to reserve 20 per cent of their budget for LPS and seek help from PPADB when planning their procurement. She cautioned that bidding with different companies is anti-competitive and against the law and it could attract a penalty of suspension and de-listing.

Councillor for Mogale ward, Mr Ronicah Ntsimako said the business community in Jwaneng especially youth businesses were losing tenders because of lack of knowledge, adding that PPADB should come more often to empower the residents on noble opportunities.

Mr Bankinyana Montsiemang of Ngami ward also share the sentiments, but asked for PPADB office in Jwaneng to assist the whole district as a way of taking services closer to the people. Ends