THE newly-appointed Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Board of Directors has been directed to disband the authority’s Tender Board due to corruption and inefficiency in tendering.
Speaking this week during the
inauguration of the Board, Minister for Works, Transport and
Communications, Prof Makame Mbarawa, said that the Tender Board has been
a source of many problems facing TPA.
He directed the new board to ensure that
the project for the construction and improvement of infrastructure at
Mtwara port takes off as planned. “The government has announced a tender
for the construction of one additional berth at Mtwara port. You should
ensure that this tender is awarded to the successful bidder,” he said.
Prof Mbarawa said that the TPA Tender Board has a number of shortfalls
which have affected the development of the sector.
“The Board of Directors should dissolve
it with immediate effect if it wants to increase efficiency and ensure
that important projects are implemented,” Prof Mbarawa said. “The tender
for construction of additional berth at Mtwara port has been announced
several times and it is now five years.
A successful bidder has never been picked... I want this process to be completed to allow the implementation of the project.”
The minister further said that members
of the Tender Board have been working to safeguard their interests thus
causing unnecessary delays in awarding tenders. He said members of the
Tender Board have been awarding tenders to bidders who could give them
what he described as ‘ten percent’.
That is why it was dilly-dallying the process for their own interests.
The minister, however, said that the
ports personnel need to be supported with modern equipment to improve
the their performance. “The TPA workers are still using old technology
such as issuance of manual receipts, the board should see how they can
be supported,” he said.
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