adminOVER 40 Zimbabwean companies successfully registered on the UN suppliers’ list following the hosting of the United Nations Procurement Division (UNPD) Vendor Briefing and Registration seminar in Harare recently.
The UNPD online registration matches vendors with UN agencies, which procure a wide range of products and services.
Speaking at the seminar, the UNDP senior procurement officer, Mr Edward Meck, urged the local companies to participate in UN tenders.
The UN offers opportunities for companies to participate in tenders for the supply of a diverse range of goods and services. Products that are frequently outsourced include pharmaceuticals, building materials, foodstuffs, motor vehicles, telecommunication equipment, engineering and electronic equipment. Services that are on demand in UN mission fields include aircraft services, freight forwarding, construction, catering, as well as transport logistics.
According to Mr Meck, UN agencies procured goods and services worth $17.5 billion in 2015 and of this only $76 million was supplied by Zimbabwean companies. He emphasised that the UN procurement process is fair and transparent, hence even the smallest of players should take the liberty to register as vendors and respond to tenders.
“Although the UN does the bulk of its mission work in Africa, most of the African tenders are won by companies from developed countries because African companies do not participate in the process. However, African companies are subcontracted as local suppliers. I encourage Zimbabwean companies to actively participate in this process,” he said.
Extracted from Zimtrade latest newsletter
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