22 Jan 2013

The Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) executive director (supplies), Ms Idah Marumo has urged District Adjudication Tender Committee Committees (DATCs) to debrief contractors that lose tenders. 

Speaking at a three-day northern DATCs workshop in Francistown on January 21, Ms Marumo said briefing the losing contractors would help them improve on future bids. She said such bidders, if not debriefed, might conclude that tenders were awarded corruptly.

“Such suspicion and allegations serve to undermine public confidence in the procurement system and perpetuate the perception of corruption in public procurement,” she said.

Ms Marumo explained that the essence of debriefing was in line with contractor development and also enhanced transparency.

She said from time to time, PPADB received complaints from contractors questioning the evaluation process and or the manner in which the adjudication of tenders was handled at DATC level.

Furthermore, she said when that happened, the board counted on DATCs to give them a full record of such transactions and she appealed to the committees to respond on time, so that the entire process and response to complaints could be done within two to four weeks.

She called on DATCs to ensure that only bidders who were registered with PPABD were awarded tenders, except where specific instructions in the bidding documents clearly state that registration was not an eligibility requirement for tender.

Ms Marumo said PPADB, with the assistance of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was undertaking a study on public perception on corruption in public procurement and asset disposal in Botswana, and it would be completed in February this year.

The acting Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Modisa Segokgo assured participants that his ministry was aware of the issues of capacity constraints, lack of access to technology and the need for better working conditions faced by the DATCs.

He said the ministry  was doing its best to address them, adding that the ministry had created 12 DATC secretary posts to fill the gaps opened since the formation of the committees. Mr Segokgo said seven positions were for DATCs in central, three in southern, one in Kweneng and one in Kgalagadi.

He encouraged the DATCs to commit to a high degree of integrity and professionalism at all times as PPADB upheld principles of fairness, equity, customer service, integrity, communication, partnerships and transparency.

Mr John Keitebale of Tonota DATC suggested that members should serve the committee on secondment for at least two years because it was difficult for them to do core business of their departments and to serve DATC efficiently.

Another participant, Ms Thandy Motlhagodi of Tutume DATC shared sentiments with Mr Keitebale, saying in her district, DATC in most cases fail because of people being held up by their core duties.

She suggested that PPADB should employ retired civil servants to serve as DATC members and just like land boards, be paid sitting allowances.

Ms Margaret Chienda also raised a problem of failure of meetings because members prioritised core business and she suggested that instead of appointing heads of departments to the committees, PPADB should consider engaging officers of lower positions. ENDS