Samia to PPRA: Stick to single source for SGR
ippmedia.com
Oct 11, 2021 8:48 AM
PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) to change the current tendering process and instead use a single-source approach in getting a competent contractor so as to fast-track the implementation of the targeted projects.
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President Samia Suluhu Hassan addresses the nation from Dodoma city yesterday when launching a nationwide nine-month programme meant to address challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: State House
She said the current tendering process can take up to three months to get the final winner for the tender, causing delays in project implementation.
The president made the remarks when launching the nationwide nine-month programme to address Covid-19 challenges, financed by rapid credit facilities from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to tackle health and economic effects of the pandemic.
“We have been delaying implementation of various projects due to the tendering process. This should be changed; PPRA has to review this and use the single-source approach,” she affirmed, listing achievements registered by the government since the sixth phase took office six months ago.
She said the programme largely funded by the World Bank was timely and must be completed within nine months. It must be implemented successfully so as to achieve the intended goals, so that when this is done, it will put the country in a better place to obtain more financial support.
Similar to other developing countries that benefited from the facility, Tanzania will use the credit in education, tourism and water, such as building 15,000 classrooms and over 200 health centres in wards and divisions across the country.
Head of implementing departments need to ensure value for money in all projects, where the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) is tasked to work out on the matter, she emphasised, underlining that those
Found to be misusing public funds will not be spared.
The relevant authorities must ensure that funds are efficiently spent on addressing impacts of the pandemics, she said, signaling that “whether you are a top official at ministry level or director, your duty is only to ensure value for money in each line item and not otherwise.”
Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi said that under the rapid credit facility, the Isles government will get $100m to stimulate the stalled economy. “We are proud of efforts by the Union Government as the economy had deteriorated due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he told the gathering.
On September 7 this year, the executive board of the MF approved $567.25m in emergency support credit to Tanzania to address Covid-19-related emergency financial needs, placed under the rapid credit facility and the rapid financing instrument to support the authorities’ efforts in responding to the pandemic by addressing urgent health, humanitarian and economic challenges.
The Covid-19 outbreak has highly affected the tourism sector and amplified the need for significant financing to tackle health and economic effects of the pandemic, with the IMF and World Bank resources likely to have a catalytic role in boosting efforts to mobilise additional support from development partners.
With the collapse in tourism in the wake of travel restrictions, the economy reportedly decelerated to 4.8 percent growth in 2020, and growth is expected to remain subdued in 2021.
Tanzania faces an urgent balance of payments funding requirements of about 1.5 percent of GDP as the country’s authorities implement a comprehensive plan to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and preserve macroeconomic stability in the face of a reported third wave of the virus, the bank said at the time.
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