Tanzanian Association Oslo

Prime Minister speaks on

stalled National Identity

cards project

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda

THISDAY REPORTER
Dodoma

PRIME Minister Mizengo Pinda has confirmed that he is aware of the controversy surrounding the $152m (approx. 200bn/-) national identity cards project.

Responding to a query from a legislator during the Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) session of the ongoing National Assembly sitting in Dodoma yesterday, the premier called for patience from MPs while the project’s tender process continues.

He acknowledged that the process has been prolonged, but asserted that the government will properly address any shortcomings delaying the deal.

According to Pinda, one major weakness in the tendering process was the unexplained loss of documents from folio number 47 at the Ministry of Home Affairs, which contains important information on the project.

This, he said, had resulted in much of the information being leaked.

’’The government will take strong measures against anyone, including the minister concerned, who is found to be liable for the weaknesses and shortcomings in the whole tendering process for the project,’’ the premier asserted.

He called on MPs and the general public to exercise patience until the tendering process has been concluded, after which the government will do a proper evaluation.

Pinda was responding to a question raised by Karatu MP, Dr Wilbrod Slaa of the opposition CHADEMA party, who had sought an explanation from the government on why the project has become mired in controversy.

According to THISDAY findings, differences have recently come to the fore between Home Affairs Minister Lawrence Masha and State House Chief Secretary Philemon Luhanjo over the way the tender process is being handled.

Initially, the home affairs ministerial tender board had sought to float a restricted tender, but the government ordered the tender process to be made public to avoid loopholes for corruption and other wrongdoings.

It has now come to light that minister Masha last month (December 2008) complained formally to premier Pinda that chief secretary Luhanjo instructed the permanent secretary in the home affairs ministry to report directly to the ministerial Cabinet on the implementation of the tender process, without informing him (Masha) as minister.

A well-placed source told THISDAY: ’’The minister told the prime minister that he felt compelled to complain about the tender process out of political responsibility, but also acknowledged to having no legal authority to intervene in the matter.’’

It is understood that the minister’s argument was that he would be the one forced to shoulder political responsibility should anything go wrong within the ministry.

The chief secretary, who operates from State House, is secretary to the Cabinet and responsible for ensuring that all important government decisions are implemented.

According to our sources, Masha also told premier Pinda that he had received complaints from one of the bidders for the tender, SAGEM SECURITE of France, and summoned the home affairs PS to Dodoma last November for discussions on the matter.

’’Apparently, he (Masha) was not happy with the way the preliminary evaluation of the tender was conducted, after some of the bidders were uplifted and given conditional pre-qualification, while others with similar qualifications were left out,’’ a source said.

It has also been hinted that the minister even told Pinda of a spreading ’notion’ that he (Masha) was personally favouring the French company to be awarded the tender.

A total of 54 companies initially tabled bids for the tender to supply the ID cards, and a special government evaluation committee then picked 21 of the bidders for the pre-qualification stage.

Out of these, 16 bidders were found to be ’substantially responsive’, while five bidders were given ’conditional pre-qualification.’ The tender board later came up with a shortlist of eight companies, excluding SAGEM SECURITE, out of those recommended by the evaluation committee.

According to officials close to the project’s tender process, minister Masha apparently feels that mistakes in the early stages of the process, and all 21 initial bids (including that of SAGEM SECURITE) should be re-evaluated by the ministerial tender board.

The multi-billion shilling project is understood to have attracted the interest of quite a number of local politicians-cum-businessmen, said to be eagerly waiting to pounce on the deal. Sources say there has been remarkable behind-the-scenes lobbying by some of the bidding companies to land the contract.

Courtsey of ThisDAY online