Sunday 19 August 2012

Zambian gov't to revise the list of suppliers


Government intends to revise the list of suppliers in order to contract credible business houses as opposed to brief case or shadow companies.

Home affairs minister Edgar lungu says this is due to fraud and insider dealing associated with the previous MMD regime’s belief of giving favours to people they believed to be in good standing with the party.
Mr. Lungu says his ministry’s procurement unit will soon hold a meeting to evaluate credible business houses that will deal with government and notice to inform the public inviting prospective suppliers will be posted.
He further says his ministry has engaged the ministry of finance so as to find a lasting solution to the inherited 75billion owed to food suppliers requesting that an amount between 5billion kwacha to 10billion kwacha be released every month towards dismantling the outstanding debt.
Mr lungu says currently there is an audit verification working team at the ministry headquarters and its departments so as to confirm the authenticity of some outstanding invoices.
He says once the team finishes its work and generates a report; the ministry believes that the treasury will then work out a solution to the problem once and for all.
Mr. Lungu has hence appealed to the food suppliers to exercise patience stating that government is fully aware of their plight and is try everything possible to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile Yesterday Mr. Lungu Said That He Is Appalled By The Influx Of Suppliers Frequenting His Office Asking To Favours To Influence Contracts For Them To Supply The Ministry Or Influence Payment Of Outstanding Bills.
Mr. Lungu Said Some Unscrupulous People Purporting To Be Suppliers Have Even Gone To The Extent Of Suggesting That They Register A Joint Company With Him So As To Supply Goods To The Ministry.
He Advised Suppliers That It Is Not His Duty And Neither That Of His Deputies Or Even The Permanent Secretary To Give Or Influence Favours For Contracts Or Modalities For Payment Of Outstanding Bills Saying All Contracts For The Supply Of Goods And Services To The Ministry Are Regulated By The Procurement Act Number 12 Of 2008.
Mr. Lungu Stated That Such Practices Were The MMD’S Ways Of Doing Things Adding That He Will Not Succumb To Such Wrong Doings As They Are Costly And Amount To Abuse Of Office.
He Stated That The Pf Government Is Opposed To This Line Of Thinking And Way Of Conducting Business Because Government Believes That Two Wrongs Do Not Make A Right.

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