AG to continue reviewing all contracts, stresses PM

FAUSTINE KAPAMA in Dodoma

THE government will continue using the Attorney General (AG) to review all contracts entered by different agencies for the interests of the nation, the Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, told the National Assembly here.

He discouraged a proposal by a section of Members of Parliament (MPs) that all contracts the country was signing with different investors should be brought before the House for review before implementation.

“I do not think this is a good idea. Fine, it may be so for some of contracts at certain levels. But bringing all contracts for review will render the Parliament with no other business to do. We must trust the Attorney General,” the Prime Minister said.

He was responding to some questions by Ms Kunti Majala (Special Seat- Chadema), who had pointed, among others, that some of contracts the country was entering had corruption elements and was costing the nation.

The MP claimed that according to the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, Parliament was charged with duties of supervising the government in its operations, including when entering contracts through its agencies.

She, therefore, sought to know when the government would present before the National Assembly the contracts entered for review and see whether they were beneficial for the nation.

In his response, the prime minister acknowledged that indeed the government had been entering different contracts with investors and other parties through its agencies. But, he said, the procedure in place shows that the AG had been representing the government in all such transactions in order to review all the contracts before being signed.

“The Attorney General is among executive officers, charged with advising the government and he is recognized constitutionally. If he (AG) is satisfied, he may allow the government agency concerned to sign the contract for the government,” the premier explained.

Regarding corruption elements on contracts entered, Mr Majaliwa stated that there were laid down procedures, including taking legal measures against government officials proved to have acted unreasonably to sign the contract in question.

There have been several complaints among MPs on the way some contracts entered by certain government agencies were costing the nation, notably contracts relating to energy and minerals, tourism, manufacturing and transport sectors.

They prefer such contracts to be forwarded to the National Assembly before being signed by the involved parties.

In his report presented before the National Assembly here recently, the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) revealed inadequacies in procurement and contract management which cost the government more than 57bn/- in the 2014/15 financial year.

The significant procurement issues in the last financial year’s report include among others, a list of entities that made procurement outside the annual procurement plan (8.5bn/-) and entities that made procurement without approval of the Tender Board (494.4m/-).

Others, according to the report, are procurement made without competitive tendering (27.1bn/-), delivered goods without inspection (15.5bn/-) and procurement of goods and services without contracts (5.2bn/-).

Also in the list is procurement of goods and services through imprests (150.3m/-), procurement of goods and services from unapproved suppliers (8.6m/-) as well as goods and works procured and paid for but not delivered (3.3m/-).