Musasizi said that the government through the Ministry of Finance has since instituted a subcommittee to analyze the challenges to find a lasting solution.
The State Minister for Finance, in charge of General Duties, Henry Musasizi address participants in Gulu City during a regional budget consultative meeting.
The State
Minister for Finance in charge of General Duties Henry Musasizi has said that
the government is reviewing the hybrid procurement method amidst criticisms from
local governments.
On Monday, a section of local government leaders in Northern Uganda faulted the
procurement method arguing it is characterized by delayed procurement, and a
lack of clarity which has affected service delivery.
The leaders were attending a regional budget consultative meeting organized by
the Ministry of Finance, planning, and Economic Development.
Hybrid procurement is a method of procurement where the local and central
governments conduct joint procurements.
The Minister
during the meeting admitted to the leaders that the hybrid method of
procurement is indeed having challenges.
Musasizi said that the government through the Ministry of Finance has
since instituted a subcommittee to analyze the challenges to find a lasting
solution.
//Cue in: “Hybrid procurement is…
Cue out:…I can take.”//
Musasizi had responded to concerns raised by Lamwo Resident District
Commissioner Godfrey Osborn Oceng who highlighted that a contractor hired by
the Ministry of Water and Environment to rehabilitate the Agoro irrigation scheme
had vanished from the site.
According to Oceng, the government last year awarded a contract a one-year
contract for the rehabilitation of the irrigation scheme in Agoro Sub-county to
Geet International Pvt Ltd but the contractor has failed to deliver.
He says that efforts to get an explanation from the contractor have been futile
since the contractor doesn’t respond to their complaints or heed their calls
for a meeting.
//cue in: “Agoro irrigation scheme
Cue out:…are not busy.”//
He says the delayed rehabilitation of the scheme stems from the hybrid
procurement method which has made the contractor only pay allegiance to the
Central Government instead of the local government.
Oceng says there is a need to review the hybrid procurement method and have an
inclusive procurement in which the local government is at the center of
decision-making.
//Cue in: “Hybrid procurement method…
Cue out:…hybrid procurement procedure.”//
Gulu LCV Chairperson Christopher Ateker equally reiterates that the procurement
procedure is giving them a lot of challenges since contractors centrally
procured have failed to complete the majority of their contracts.
//Cue in: “We are having…
Cue out:…that hybrid procurement.”//
According to Ateker, the government awarded a contract to construct a Seed
secondary school in Palaro Sub-county in 2018 but the contractor to date hasn’t
finished the construction work.
//Cue in: “The construction of…
Cue out:…across that road.”//
Musasizi however sounded warnings to contractors who perform shoddy work but
still fail to liaise with district authorities saying they will be dealt with.
