Steven Klukowski
Windhoek-Fulfilling it’s mandate, the newly established Central Procurement Board of Namibia held it’s maiden bid opening in Windhoek on Wednesday.
Bids were invited under the open international bidding process for a multi-million dollar tender referenced G/OIB/CPB-01/2017 for the procurement of Anti-Retroviral Medicine: Ministry of Health and Social Services. This tender attracted 13 Namibian as well as foreign (India) bidders whereby bid prices range from N$20 183 420.95 to N$431 917 910.34.
Regulations as contemplated in the Public Procurement Act, 2015 mandates the Public Procurement Board as the sole autonomous body inviting government tenders exceeding the N$35 million threshold.
Referring to section 52 of the said Act, Procurement Manager Osia Kaakuha explained that their duties as members of the Bid Opening Committee are primarily to read out the names of the respective bidders including the bids offered, verify whether bid security declarations are attached to the bidding documents and to ensure that bidders or their representatives present signed the prescribed forms after the announcement of their respective bids.
He continued by stating that “the Bid Evaluation Committee are obliged by law (Public Procurement Act, 2015) to commence with the bid evaluation process within five days after the bid opening. This process should be finalised within fourteen days, but they (Bid Evaluation Committee) can, if needed request the Central Procurement Board for an extension not exceeding thirty days.”
In conclusion Kaakuha informed the audience that the Bid Evaluation Committee will then forward their recommendations to the Board who will make the award(s) for the respective tender.
The Central Procurement Board of Namibia was established with effect from April 1 2017 replacing the old Tender Board of Namibia. Various Ministries (Works and Transport, Trade and SME Development) as well as State Owned Enterprises (New Era Publication Corporation, NamWater) have since then conducted bid openings.