'Blacklisting contracted firms that fail to deliver'

Legislators have implored government to identify and blacklist companies that fail to deliver goods and services to government departments despite having won tenders and further accepted upfront payment.

Millions of US dollars in scarce public funds continue to be lost in often opaque contracts signed by government departments with fly-by-night suppliers who have failed to deliver as promised.

A recent report by the Auditor General revealed that a total of 3 buses, 60 motor vehicles, 167 laptops and various office furniture paid for between 2020 and 2023 had not been delivered by June this year despite advance payment of ZWL$1,7 billion and US$2,3 million made in procurement of these goods.

During the question-and-answer session in parliament on Wednesday, Budiriro South legislator, Darlington Chigumbu asked the leader of Government Business at the time, Amon Murwira if there was a way of banning deceitful contractors from participating in future tenders.

"Minister, do we have a policy that speaks to an issue of making sure that those who would have failed to provide adequate services are blacklisted?" asked the CCC lawmaker.

"Can something be done to make sure that they will not be contracted again to ensure that government is not short-changed by similar individuals each and every time when they want certain things to be done?"

Zanu PF Rushinga MP Tendai Nyabani asked if there was a government policy to deal with similar companies.

Nyabani also asked if it was not possible for a contracted company to pay a guarantee fee to the government so that if it fails to deliver to the expected level, government can still recover its money.

In his response, Murwira, who is substantive Higher and Tertiary Education, said the country already has laws to deal with the cases.

"The government is there to oversee that public funds are ring-fenced. Everyone who is contracted by government to work, signs a contract so that they provide services.

"When we are talking about laws, that is what happens, but it does not mean that everyone who signs a contract is able to finish. If they are unable to complete the work, there are also laws that also bind them.

"I am saying that there is a law for doing work and a law for reprimanding," he said.

The Zanu PF led government has been accused of failure to do due diligence and corruption when awarding lucrative tenders to suppliers of goods and services to its departments.

A lot of business operators who get awarded lucrative government tenders are persons with close links to the ruling elite.