SW Public Contracts confab to tackle corruption

By ETAH CHRIS Nchia in Buea

SW public contracts delegate

Corruption has been identified as the major vice affecting the smooth execution of public contracts in the SW region and Cameroon. Reason why the effects of corruption in technical and administrative aspects of contracts will be among the major issues to deliberated during the up-coming Regional, divisional and stakeholders Conference of the Public Contract sector in the South West Region.

                The Confab that will span from 5 to 6 May 2016 in Buea, will also review and strategize on the current and future stakes of public contracts in the region.

This was made known recently in Buea by the South West Regional Delegate of Public Contracts, Mr. Kati Alfred, during a chat with the press.

                He told pressmen that the phenomenon of contractors bidding for and winning contracts before discovering the reality on the ground will be intensely discussed at the confab. A list of blacklisted contractors will be published to prevent them from bidding for subsequent contracts, Kati said.

He noted that the role of the Public Contract Ministry is to ensure the award of contracts and follow up the execution process as well as facilitate the payment procedure. But he regretted that because some engineers have categorically refused to collaborate with the public contracts department, administrative bottlenecks have set in and they greatly hinder the smooth execution of contracts.

                And this has encouraged poor results like the contract engineer in Lebialem Division, the distant location of some administrative units are far up, the contract it should be noted must be Visa before the finance controller visa and then MINMAP sign’s the contract”. All these are anticipated to upbeat debates during the two days reunion of public contracts officials in the south west region.

                “Contractors dispatch their technicians to the field and end up not deriving proper inquiries about how material would get to the site, the cost, and eventually when they tender and win, is often the root cause of abandon projects, like the project in Mundemba where some two classrooms were abandoned”, Kati noted.

                Lately, as a measure to improve the quality of public contracts execution in areas such as Bakassi, AKwaya, the hilly nature of Lebialem and some parts of Kupemanenguba where contractors go through several difficulties for material to get to the work sites especially during the rainy season MINMAP’s regional office was empowered to award such contracts through mutual agreement. MINMAP delegate further stated that contractors who have established their based in such areas due to sufficient mastery of the natural topography often engage on the negotiation table.