PPADB slams procuring entities’ lapses
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday November 29, 2021 06:00
The board added that this tendency also makes it difficult for the PPADB to take appropriate action against non-performing or unethical conduct by contractors. The board has the power to suspend or delist contractors from participating in government procurement.
Commenting on the PPADB’S 2020-2021 annual report released this week, acting executive chair, Kgakgamalo Ketshajwang said to improve the situation, the organisation has been signing service level agreements with procuring entities and continues to press them to adhere to the PPAD Act.
Parliamentarians at the recent Budget Pitso highlighted implementation as one of the greatest threats to efficient public finance management, as budget revenues tighten due to COVID-19.
During the year to March 2021, the PPADB awarded tenders worth P6.4 billion lower than the P7.5 billion recorded in the previous corresponding period. This figure excluded micro procurement by ministries whose value amounted to P345.4 million, which is lower than P460.7 million recorded in the 2019-2020 financial year.
The board received 599 submissions and 257 of those submissions required the board to make adjudication decisions while the rest were for noting,” Ketshajwang said. “The board approved 167 of these submissions representing 65%, deferred its decision on 41 of them and rejected 49, which represented 19% of the submitted requests. “This represents an increase in the approval rate from 58% during the previous financial year to 65% in the year under review.”
Meanwhile, the PPADB’s received three complaints, a decrease from the seven that was previously recorded. However, the board dismissed all the cases citing that they lacked merit and had been a result of the failure to follow the procurement process.