Walvis Bay
President Hage Geingob says the government will no longer tolerate the inflation of tender prices for self-enrichment and the poor service of inexperienced or incompetent contractors, who miss deadlines and deliver infrastructure of inferior quality.
“Every cent of public funds must be accounted for and well spent,” he said during the official opening of the N$100 million new terminal building of Walvis Bay Airport on Friday.
“There is no room for procurement processes which lack fairness or cost-sensitivity, no room for inexperienced or incompetent contractors who miss deadlines and deliver low-quality infrastructure. Most importantly, best value for government money means there is no room for Mr and Mrs Ten Percent who solicit or accept bribes,” he said.
The president said Namibia is currently rated by Transparency International as the fourth most transparent African country, adding that the Harambee Prosperity Plan aspires that Namibia be ranked number one.
Geingob warned both the public and private sectors that those who make themselves guilty of accepting and offering bribes in procurement processes would be dealt with.
Geingob explained that the country ought not to pay N$100 million for a building that can be built at a cost of N$60 million. “We cannot spend N$30 million on a road that can cost N$10 million. These are things that we have to guard against in the spirit of Harambee,” he said.
The procurement process, he said, should ensure that government obtains the best value for public funds and builds trust in the Namibian nation.
“The only thing that stands between us and our aspirations is those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the masses. We have come way too far as a country to allow a few corrupt individuals to undermine the economic aspirations of our nation,” Geingob said.
Geingob further said that sometimes Namibians are quick to paint all procurement processes as corrupt.
“That’s why I first said that overcharging will not be tolerated. What is true is that we will never stop the whispers and speculators. But corruption is a cancer that requires every intervention. Therefore transparency and accountability are the weapons against corruption and we must walk the talk of the Harambee Prosperity Plan to ensure effective service delivery, through building necessary infrastructure in a transparent and accountable manner,” the president said.