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Biti slams tender board
NewsDay
February 22, 2012

http://www.newsday.co.zw/2012/02/22/2012-02-22-biti-slams-tender-board/

Finance minister Tendai Biti has accused the State Procurement Board (Tender Board) of awarding contracts to companies that have no capacity to carry out projects.

Biti told a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion on Monday tenders were being awarded to incompetent companies.

He said the Board was also taking too long to process and award projects.

Biti cited an example of a company blacklisted by the government but was awarded a contract.

Another company was blacklisted for being found incompetent, but still won a tender to repair elevators at Kaguvi Building. Still no work has been done and ministers are climbing up and down 21 floors every day, Biti said.

How do you tender when you dont have the capacity to do the job?

He said last year $100 million was set aside for public sector investment in Zesa, Zimbabwe National Water Authority and the Ministry of Transport, but not much work was conducted in all sectors.

We are very cross with the construction sector, because money is there and its a shame private players are not committed.

We gave money for various dams, but not much work has been done, Biti said.

Biti said in 2009 the Ministry of Public Works was awarded $4,5 million to carry out some projects, but again returned last year demanding a further $11 million for the same project, an indication projects were not being properly costed.

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