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Business Reporter
Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Webster Shamu said he will soon meet the chief secretary to Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda and President Mugabe to discuss operations at the State Procurement Board (SPB) that has seen delays in the approval of tenders concerning NetOne.
Officially opening the NetOne stand at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair last week, Minister Shamu attributed the jaded performance of the state owned company to delays in approving tenders and lack of funding.
“We are aware that the biggest challenge you have faced over the years and has made you to limp is lack of funding since you are government owned. When the money has been found we have been slow to approve proposals until your ideas are taken by others,” said Shamu.
“Then comes the delays by the State Procurement Board in approving tenders. We will discuss with the chief secretary, we will discuss with His Excellency so that they (SPB) appreciate that you are in a business full of competition not only in Zimbabwe but globally, hence what you will have proposed should be implemented quickly.”
NetOne is the country’s third largest telecom company after Econet Wireless and Telecel Zimbabwe.
Shamu challenged the company to open more outlets in Matabeleland including at growth points, so that people could also enjoy the fruits of technology.
NetOne chief executive officer Reward Kangai early this month told Parliament that government owed it $1,1 million.
He said the debt coupled with a statutory requirement which obliges public institutions to refer all major capital projects to the SPB had made it difficult for NetOne to implement its projects.
The SPB has come under fire from various quarters due to the manner in which it has handled the awarding of tenders.
According to local media reports, operations at the SPB have been affected by understaffing, poor oversight and slack monitoring systems for the tender process.
SPB executive chairman Charles Kuwaza told The Sunday Mail that the board did not have the capacity to superintend and evaluate all submitted tenders owing to staff shortages.
“While we can also investigate as SPB, we only have a dozen odd professionally qualified officers, and unless we stop all other work, we cannot be expected to cover the whole spectrum of the public sector.”
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