Parliament Says The Blacklisted Companies Had Better Prices Compared To Competitors

The Parliament of Zimbabwe has said all procurement requirements were met in choosing the two companies that eventually won tender to supply laptops and desktops. In a statement seen by Pindula News, the clerk of Parliament, Kennedy Chokuda said the two companies, Blinart Investments P/L ANCE and Mid-End Computers and Hardware (P/L) had the lowest prices compared to their competitors. Reads the statement that was issued after Treasury cancelled the tenders and blacklisted the two companies citing exorbitantly inflated prices:

PRESS STATEMENT ON PROCUREMENT OF ICT EQUIPMENT FOR PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

1. The Parliament of Zimbabwe notes with concern the circulation of official documents on social media regarding the procurement of ICT equipment for the institution. This statement is, therefore, issued in the public interest to set the record straight on the matter.

2. It is a fact that Parliament did go to tender with the view to purchasing various ICT equipment that forms part of the tools of the trade for Parliament. In total compliance with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act and our Procurement Plan, the tender was duly advertised in the local media on 19th and 23rd June 2022 and in the Government Gazette on 15th June 2022 requesting potential suppliers to submit their bids for the supply of the ICT equipment.

3. In compliance with the national procurement procedures, the submissions were duly considered by the Evaluation Committee and forwarded for further scrutiny by the Special Oversight Procurement Committee (SPOC). It is during these processes that two companies were cleared as meeting the set criteria, including the lowest price submissions payable in local currency.

4. According to procurement regulations, it is a mandatory requirement that all bidders are made aware of the results of the tender process as reflected in the said signed letter being circulated on social media.

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5. However, while all the procurement processes had been adhered to and cognizant of the need to exercise prudence and probity in all procurement processes, our due diligence processes indicated that the prices quoted were highly inflated. It is at this particular point that on Friday 9th August 2022. I, as the Accounting Officer, directed the Parliament’s Director Procurement Unit, in the presence of the Director Audit, to initiate cancellation of the tender and to proceed with retendering as the quoted prices were not justified. It is in this regard, that no contract has been signed with any of the two suppliers, and no payment processes have been activated in respect of the two suppliers.

6. As an institution of Parliament, we continually review our procurement processes and procedures and this incident provides an opportunity for us to reflect on our processes to make them more tight and robustly transparent.

7. Parliament wishes to inform the public that we are conscious of our responsibility to the nation and it will always be guided by the need to get value for money in all its procurement processes.

Pindula News