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      Tumisang Orebonye: Overcoming Against Adversity to Reach for the Stars

      ‘Winning The CAF Super Cup Is A Dream Come True’ – Orebonye

      BAA Needs Over P3m For World Champs

      Botswana’s Sporting Future in Jeopardy: School Sports Suspension Threatens Athletic Excellence

      No House For Tebogo Despite Astral Performance in Budapest

      “No Pressure for Tebogo at Diamond League Finals”

      BOKA Aims to Host Two Prestigious International Karate Competitions

      BOKA Aims to Host Two Prestigious International Karate Competitions

      FM Botswana 2022 conference: transformation towards a greener FM 

      StanChart CEO Underscores Role of UB Marathon in Boosting Botswana’s Sports Tourism

      No House For Tebogo Despite Astral Performance in Budapest

      No House For Tebogo Despite Astral Performance in Budapest

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      COVID-19 Task Force accused of meddling in MOH procurement

      A newly released report of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has accused the COVID-19 Task Force of meddling too much in the affairs of the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOH).

      mm by Kabo Ramasia
      January 26, 2022
      in News
      Reading Time: 2 mins read
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      COVID-19 Task Force accused of meddling in MOH procurement

      GABORONE 5 May 2020, Member of parliament for Selebi-Phikwe West Dithapelo Keorapetse wearing Coronavirus Covid 19 protective mask during the the Special session of the Parliament on 5 May 2020. Botswana is in the second phase of lockdown to fight Covid 19. (Pic:MONIRUL BHUIYAN/PRESS PHOTO)

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      • PAC report condemns two centres of power

      According to the report, there are two centres around COVID-19 procurements and wonders why the Office of the President (OP) allowed such a situation to take hold. Compiled by the Chairman of the PAC, Dithapelo Keorapetse, who is the MP for Selibe-Phikwe West, the report raises concern about the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration.

      “The Committee has noted that there are two centres for COVID-19 procurement, being the Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 Task Force Team in the Office of the President,” it says “The Committee questioned the Accounting Officer on why the COVID-19 Task Team is usurping the powers of the Ministry of Health by engaging in COVID-19 procurement when the Ministry of Health is the one which has the experience and mandate of dealing with the pandemic.”

      The report states that the Accounting Officer at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs stated that the Task Team was engaged for procurement of quarantine facilities, thus assisting the Ministry of Health because of its heavy workload.

      According to the PAC report, the OP Accounting Officer said direct appointment for tenders “used because COVID-19 was treated as an emergency and that procurement was mainly from companies that have been traditionally used by the Ministry of Health. This however, is not the case as there have been reports of new companies being awarded COVID -19 contracts”.

      Consequently, because it believes use of direct procurement tends to encourage  inflated prices, the PAC has advised against except in exceptional cases. Although no recommendation is made regarding meddling of the COVID-19 Task Team in procurement of COVID-19 supplies, the PAC report advises the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration to make COVID-related tenders transparent.

      “In order to ensure transparency and accountability, all COVID-19 related procurement should be periodically published in the PPADB website giving full details of the companies receiving procurement contracts and the beneficial owners of the companies,” notes the report. “With the passage of time, the impact of COVID-19 is no longer unexpected so direct awards should gradually be abandoned as the medium and long-term needs of the pandemic can now be predicted.”

      To deal with inflating prices, the PAC has recommended that judgement should be used even during direct awards to ensure that prices are not higher than market prices. Meanwhile, as Botswana faces soaring figures of Omicron infections, the Presidential Task Team continues to give weekly updates on the state of COVID-19 in Botswana. Detractors of the Task Force have always accused the Dr Kereng Masupu-led team of being the President’s favourite and blame it for key civil servants losing their jobs.

       

       

      Tags: COVID-19COVID-19 Task ForceDithapelo KeorapetseDr Kereng MasupuPPADBPublic Accounts Committee (PAC)

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