By Patricia Male
The Zambia Public Procurement Authority –ZPPA- has suspended 6 suppliers/bidders from participating in public procurement for a period of 1 year for submitting false insurance bid bonds in the tender for the construction of various projects in Kaputa District under the 2021 Constituency Development Fund –CDF-.
The affected suppliers are Wittingtone Contractors and Suppliers, Benarm General Dealers, Kejora Contractors Limited, Chisonto Distributors and General Dealers, Vinaka general Dealers and Contractors and Sichisi General Dealers Limited.
ZPPA Principal Officer - Public Relations Inutu Mushambatwa explains that facts of the matter were that a complaint was received by ZPPA highlighting various irregularities and allegations which bordered on corruption and submission of false information in a procurement process undertaken by Kaputa Town Council.
Ms. Mushambatwa says upon receipt of the complaint, ZPPa instituted an investigation into the submission of false insurance bid bonds for CDF construction projects floated by Kaputa Town Council in 2021.
She says the investigations revealed that the aforementioned bidders used an agent to obtain the insurance bonds that were submitted to Kaputa Town Council and the said bonds were not genuinely issued by Goldman Insurance Limited.
Ms. Mushambatwa says further, ZPPA noted that during the evaluation of the tender, Kaputa Town Council established that the insurance bid bonds that were submitted by the suppliers and contractors were not authentic, however, the council requested the bidders to re-submit genuine bid securities which was contrary to regulations 99 (1) and 101(3) (c) of the Public Procurement Regulations, 2022.
She explains that further, the authority noted that after the re-submission of new securities, Kaputa Town Council proceeded with the re-evaluation process and subsequently awarded the tenders for the CDF projects.
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