Agency to probe ballot papers tender
Ballot papers arrive in Zanzibar from South Africa in readiness for the 2010 General Election in 2010. A South African firm, Uniprint, has been contracted to supply ballot papers for this year’s polls, slated for October 25. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
The probe comes at a time when pressure is mounting on the National Electoral Commission (NEC) over the alleged flawed tender that saw a South African Company, Uniprint, contracted to supply the papers.
Dar es Salaam. Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has launched an investigation into the tender for purchasing ballot papers for the 2015 General Election, The Citizen has learnt.
The probe comes at a time when pressure is mounting on the National Electoral Commission (NEC) over the alleged flawed tender that saw a South African Company, Uniprint, contracted to supply the papers.
A source told The Citizen that the tender award to the firm did not follow due process as per PPRA rules on the basis that no notification of intent to award had been issued to the unsuccessful bidders, yet the contract had already been given.
It was also revealed that by not issuing the notice, no bidder had the opportunity to appeal to the Public Procurement Appeals Authority (PPAA) as per Public Procurement Act of 2011.
“The tender evaluation committee hasn’t carried out a fair and competent technical evaluation of the bid submissions as the supplier, who was awarded the tender, failed the most basic requirements stipulated in the tender document,” said a source who preferred anonymity due to sensitivity of the matter.
However, NEC Director of Procurement Management, Mr Eliud Mjaila, told The Citizen in an interview yesterday that proper procedures were followed in awarding the tender.
Uniprint, a South African-based commercial printer was awarded a tender for printing and supplying ballot papers, tactile ballot folders and result forms for the 2015 General Election scheduled for October 25. The contract was approved by the Office of the Attorney General prior to the signing by the supplier.
Mr Mjaila moved to refute reports that the unsuccessful bidders were not served with letters of notification, stressing: “We wrote to all bidders who did not secure the bid and as prescribed in the law, if they were not satisfied they would have proceeded to PPAA, but until now we have not received any letter from PPAA.”
According to him, in the process to award the tender, all the necessary technical and financial evaluation steps were followed.
Asked about the tender price, the election watchdog’s procurement director said it was too early to reveal the price, saying it would be known after the PPRA releases the contracted company to the public.
