VICE PRESIDENT SMELLS RAT IN PROJECT BIDS

Vice-President Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan.

• District executives in hot soup over kickbacks 
• Directs awarding of contracts less than 10bn/- to locals

DODOMA - Executives in three district councils are in trouble for demanding bribes and subsequently freezing contracts they had initially awarded to local contractors, who defied their kickback requests.

Vice-President Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan ordered here yesterday the immediate reinstatement of three contractors, who legitimately won bids for contracts in the public sector, but were mysteriously pulled-out for failing to comply with bribery pleas.

Moreover, the VP directed that all government contracts of projects worth less than 10bn/- be awarded to local contractors - partly to boost their capital and add-up to job creation in the country.

Officiating a two-day Contractors Registration Board (CRB) Annual Consultative Meeting and Exhibition held at the Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre, she said time for bribery to win state contracts is over.

“The government wants to partner with you (private contractors), but you must be ready to work diligently, professionally, complete work on time whilst meeting standards and at affordable cost,” she said.

The VP, without disclosing further details including names and location of executives alleged to have begged for cash, said the state has put all executives in district councils undertight surveillance. “After investigations, legal and disciplinary action will be taken against them,” she hinted.

Contractors are meeting here to open a new chapter with the government, after years of poor relations resulting from reduced involvement of local contractors in public sector projects and unsettled debts.

According to the VP, the government resolved to suspend engagement of local contractors following a number of them inflating project costs, yet delay to complete the assignments.

“That’s why we turned to engaging state agencies. This does not mean we will not involve private companies,” she said.

“We’re now going to implement numerous projects which will need your involvement and technical support.

The Vice-President openly said most local companies had for long been doing shoddy work on public projects, thus affecting sustainable development of the people.

Two largest projects on the scorecard for local companies include the Dar es Salaam-Dodoma government mass exodus and the construction of crude oil pipeline from Hoima (in Uganda) to Tanga.

Daily News