Team to probe contracts

 INVESTIGATION Task Force Sweep has received numerous complaints and allegations against the  way Joint Provincial Planning and Budget Priority Committees (JPP&BPC) and Joint District Planning and Budget Priority Committees (JDP&BPC) award contracts.

Chairman Sam Koim said in a statement the two committees were not procurement authorities.

“It has come to our attention that JPP&BPC and JDP&BPC, whose chairmen are governors and open members respectively, are purportedly approving and procuring goods and services,” he said last Friday.

“We have received numerous complaints and allegations including meeting minutes where JPP&BPC and JDP&BPC of provinces and districts are awarding contracts to private contractors.”

Koim pointed out that under the Public Finance Management Act and the financial instructions, the law clearly stated that these committees were not procurement authorities.

He said the committees were established under the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local Level Governments.

He said their functions were as the names denoted – to make plans and prioritise budgetary allocations of funds for their respective provinces and districts.

“The provinces have their provincial administrator who exercises section 32 powers in his or her capacity as the deemed departmental head,” Koim said.

“Districts have their respective financial delegates appointed by Act. Consistent with the latest financial instructions, their authority to procure goods and services is limited to less than K500,000.” 

Koim said under the financial instruction, it stated that the existing procurement procedures and public tendering requirements would apply to all PSIP, DSIP and LLGSIP projects after the necessary selection by the committees.

He said the financial delegate of the district and province could commit up to K500,000 in written quotations but anything above that amount would go to the Provincial Supply and Tenders Board or the Central Supplies and Tenders Board subject to the limit of the financial authority of the board.

“These committees cannot award contracts to private contractors. 

“Perhaps the new law just been passed might change the position.”