26 Mar 2017

The director of the Directorate of Public Service Management, (DPSM) Ms Ruth Maphorisa has urged members of Ministerial Tender Committees (MTC) to pay attention to internal audit so that irregularities are detected early rather than surfacing at the Public Accounts Committee.
Speaking at the MTCs workshop in Gaborone on March 24, she stated that members of the tender committees play a critical role in government hence deserved to be appreciated.
She noted that procurement takes a large chunk of government budget therefore should not be taken lightly.
Ms Maphorisa said ministries were still lagging behind on issues of Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) which she said needed to be discussed to ensure everyone was compliant with it.
She further emphasised on the importance of transparency so that expenditure was shared equally among Batswana.
She stated that issues of corruption continued to surface in government processes therefore indicating that invitation to tender (ITTs) should not benefit one supplier.
The director said some committees do not give feedback to bidders following the tender award stage which she said could result in lawsuits.
 The DCEC deputy director general, Ms Botlhale Makgekgenene said despite the fact that Botswana was listed among the least corrupt countries in the world, corruption still crippled Botswana’s economy.
She stated that corruption was a worrying matter globally hence needed joint efforts to curb it.
Ms Makgekgenene said it was key for all entities to carry out market research so as to determine the price range in the market.
She said bidders should be notified simultaneously by the tender committee on award of tender to avoid queries.
The director in the Department of Internal Audit, Ms Motlalepula Kabomo said permanent secretaries and directors were responsible for managing risks and designing internal controls within areas of operations.
“Government spends millions in acquiring goods and services hence best practice in procurement should be followed,” she noted.
She stated that internal auditors had identified that last minute procurements at the end of the year to exhaust funds were rife in government.
She said most procurement entities did not interrogate market prices to ensure they pay a reasonable price. ENDS