PPRA mum over voter kits probe report

Dar es Salaam. Nearly six months since the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) launched investigations into the controversial tender for buying biometric voter registration (BVR) kits awarded to a South African company by the National Electoral Commission (NEC), the agency has remained tight-lipped.

Although the PPRA promised it would make the outcome of the investigations public, that hasn’t happened, and its silence is attracting concern amid reports that the company that won the bid has already been paid billions of shillings as advance.

In March, 2014, PPRA launched its investigation into how the second-phase of purchase of BVR equipment was conducted. The agency’s action came following  reports that the multi-billion tendering was marred by irregularities. This is also happening at a time when the NEC has publicly defended the entire process, denying any wrongdoing on its part.

The procurement watchdog confirmed to The Citizen in July that it was probing the controversy surrounding the award of $117 million (Sh196.5 billion) to LithoTech Exports of South Africa to deliver BVR kits for registering 23.9 million eligible voters.

But in a quick rejoinder, just few days after The Citizen broke the story, the very same NEC lowered the value of the tender from $117 million to $89 million (about Sh142.4 billion), dismissing the earlier figure that has been widely quoted. So far the government has released Sh21.5 billion out of the approved budget of Sh133 billion for the BVRs. The money was released in September, according to permanent secretary in the ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs Mr Servacius Likwelile.

This amount is lower that which the NEC awarded to LithoTech Exports in a tender to supply BVRs. On July 10, this year, NEC director of elections Julius Malaba told the press that the electoral body gave LithoTech Exports the tender to deliver 15,500 BVR kits at a cost of $89.09 million and not $117.18 million (Sh196 billion) as reported. Mr Malaba disowned the contract price indicated in official Public Procurement Appeals Authority (PPAA) documents at a ruling in a case filed by one of the companies that lost the tender.

But, there’s also serious concern regarding where the billions would come from as the ruling party is alleging that the project was too expensive, considering the financial constraints facing the government.

The Citizen sought to know if PPRA was informed on the procurement process by NEC. In July, PPRA told The Citizen in an email that it was still conducting its investigations.

However, a big cloud is still hanging over the outcomes of investigations with authorities at PPRA delving nothing to the public on the outcome of the investigation, contrary to its pledge. “The outcome of this investigation will be included in the Authority’s reports and made public,” PPRA chief executive officer Laurent Shirima told The Citizen in an email communication.

This agency is charged with ensuring that all buying involving public entities follows laid-down procedures. It is empowered to carry out investigations where ethical or legality queries in tendering emerge, and can recommend cancellation of a tender, lock out companies from tendering if they are found culpable and recommend legal action against officials found to have broken the Procurement Law.

Nearly four months since PPRA launched its investigation; there isn’t any iota of information that has been made public. Our weeklong efforts to get clarification from the PPRA’s chief executive didn’t bear fruit. Emails were sent to him several times but his office chose to keep mum.

Notwithstanding the controversy on the procurement process, already NEC has pushed back the voter listing plan to the end of this year. NEC chairman Judge (rtd) Damian Lubuva said the exercise would begin in September 2014. Late last month, NEC officials confirmed that there has been an unexpected delay in the shipment of the BVR equipment.

NEC chairman also told the media that there had been a delay in releasing over Sh90 billion meant for the procurement of the BVRs.

“I would like to tell the public that the exercise, which was set to start this month, has now been shifted to the end of this year,” he said.

However, Judge Lubuva told reporters that the government has already approved funding for the BVRs and that they would be shipped in within the coming two months. He noted that the government has already approved about Sh290 billion budgeted for the entire exercise.

Last week, the permanent secretary in the ministry of Finance, Mr Servacius Likwelile, told The Citizen that 21.5 billion had already been released for buying the BVRs. “Further cash release will depend on work plan until April next year when the exercise comes to a close,’’ he said.