Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
THE Government is in the process of sifting out briefcase companies wanting to abuse the tendering system for the purchase of equipment for the country’s fight against the spread of Coronovirus ( Covid-19).
Addressing the media after a meeting if the Ad-hoc inter-Ministerial taskforce on Covid-19 on Monday, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa said cabinet had since realised the mushrooming of briefcase companies involved in the tendering processes for Covid-19 supplies.
She said Governmnet was now working on modalities to sift out these unscrupulous individuals as a means of ensuring that the whole process was not abused and transparent.
“The Materials Production Subcommittee reported that Section 28 of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) Act provides a framework on how to legally exclude briefcase companies in the tendering process.
“The Ministry of Health Child Care and NatPham will be coming up with a framework tender which ensures that only reputable and established companies participate.
I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to each and every one of us to continue working for the collective good in the fight against Covid-19,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She said the pandemic should not be an avenue for anyone to enrich themselves at the expense of the nation.
The Minister also paid gratitude to tetiary institutions in the country which had ensured the availability of sanitisers in the market hence bolstering the Government’s efforts in containing the spread of the pandemic.
“It is noted that currently there are no availability challenges with regard to hand sanitizers and that all suppliers are local. This is a testimony to the effort being put in by our tertiary institutions and industry in meeting local demand,” she said.