OPUWO – Some leaders in the Kunene region have expressed their frustrations with the Central Procurement system, urging the government to replace the current procurement system with a more decentralised approach to expedite and enhance regional capital projects.
In a recent interview with Nampa following the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) stakeholders’ engagement held in Opuwo over the past five days, the leaders raised a concern that the current system causes delays in development, compromises effectiveness, and at times fails to benefit the local population.
Kunene regional health director Tomas Shapumba suggested that: “Such rights should be extended to the regions rather than being centralised at the national level. Empower the regions so they can identify, discuss, and recommend local entities for tendering.”
Shapumba also stated that decentralising the procurement system would simplify the process and expedite capital projects, thereby allowing regions greater independence to recognise local companies and maintain more oversight on projects. He believes that the current system has become overly complicated and that the process at the regional level would be much quicker.
Opuwo Urban constituency councillor Ueutjerevi Ngunaihe stated that regional leaders understand the specifics of their areas and should therefore be granted the authority to manage procurement solely at the regional level.
“At times, it becomes problematic with outside companies that fail to heed the advice of regional leaders regarding developmental projects in certain areas. In some instances, when we confront the companies, they ignore us, claiming they were not hired by us,” he remarked. Johannes Antsino, Outjo constituency councillor, stated that local companies should be prioritised for tenders if they meet all the requirements, rather than outsourcing. “We are experiencing delays in implementation, which is unfair to the people who are supposed to benefit from the projects. If we establish local committees, these issues can be avoided,” he said.
Antsino believes that decentralising some administrative functions will enable regional offices to manage procurement within specified limits. -Nampa