||Kharas business community not happy with awarding of tenders
Finance and Public Enterprises Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, urged the ||Kharas business community to report any nepotism and any process favouring certain individuals when it comes to awarding of tenders.
Shiimi made the call during an engagement meeting between the ||Kharas Region business community and the minister and his delegation here after participants at the meeting alleged that there are certain individuals that are earmark for tenders in the region.
“The law is very clear that tenders should be given to the most responsive bidder, people in public offices managing tenders should ensure tenders are given to those that can deliver so we do not end up with unfinished projects as we currently have. They should know that they are not there to give tenders to their friends and if that happens and you have proof of such activities, that is a violation of the law and you can report to our ministry,” he said.
One of the participants Sherline Jossob alleged that only certain individuals are given tenders at Keetmanshoop urging that a database be established to ensure that all SMEs benefit from tenders as the current system does not work and only certain individuals benefit.
“Here in Keetmanshoop we are killing one another as tenders especially catering tenders are given to certain individuals, it does not matter if you are in good standing with [the finance ministry], you will not get it, it’s like the tenders are earmarked for some people, let us fix the system, let us create a database to ensure that not only some people get the tenders,” she stressed.
Another participant Otto Apollus said: “Tenders are given to people that are not capable of doing them and finishing them for that matter, you need to know how to do the job before you even apply for the tender, if you don’t know do not apply for it, but what is happening now is not right.”
Cyril Pieters added that some of the reasons that hinder small and medium businesses to grow is lack of necessary services in the region to cater for them.
“We don’t have Development Bank of Namibia here, not even Agribank, if we need services from those entities and others, we need to travel up to Windhoek which is expensive and sometimes you get there with the wrong paperwork, we need these entities closer to us, it not about us getting the money fast, it is getting the services and if that is addressed, we will be able to do business easier, the system is the one that makes us to be behind,” he said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency