09 Mar 2016

In the procurement process for the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP), there will be no deviations from existing legal requirements to ensure transparency and openness in the tendering process, Central District Council (CDC) chairperson, Mr Peter Williams has told a council meeting on Monday.

Mr Williams said the expression of interest (EOI) for procurement of services was approved by the Public Procurement and Assert Disposal Board in December 2015 following consultation with representatives of the construction industry.
The approved  of the expression of interest, he said, was to fast track the process of procurement.

During the three year period of the programme, he said the  council would implement the primary school backlog eradication programme in 22 primary schools, build 28 cubical toilets and 141 teachers’ houses.
He said the first phase of the programme would cover Supang and Ratsiesetlhako primary schools at Letlhakane and Palapye respectively.

Mr Williams said 12 customary courts would have type 1 kgotla offices, adding that the offices would be built in Matobo, Mmea, Moremi, Natale, Makwate, Mokoboxane, Manxotai and Mokgware while type 2 kgotla offices would be built at Tshimoyapula, Chadibe, Dibete and Shashemooke.

The customary courts implementation programme, he said, would come with a vehicle and furniture.
Mr Willams said the Tutume infrastructure development project, which was deferred due to the 2008/2009 economic meltdown, would also be implemented  during the 2016/17 fiscal year.

He said his district would also work with the Ministry of Land and Housing on accelerating land servicing to cover Bobonong, Serowe, Mmmadinare, Shoshong and Mahalapye during the 2016/17 financial year.
Mr Williams said the programme lacks a dedicated ESP technical team, as the current team had to attend to other demanding calls of their day to day duties

He said the government was working round the clock to address the challenge.
He said the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime and the Financial Intelligence Agency were engaged and have developed mitigating measures to address opportunities for corruption.

“Fast tracking the process should not be in any way be construed or used to bypass the necessary checks and balances as well as  oversight processes,” he emphasised. The chairperson appealed to his colleagues to work as a team and to embrace and publicise the initiative to the public. Ends