IN pursuing transparent and effective administration, the Ekurhuleni metro has taken a bold step by allowing members of the public and companies bidding for tenders to sit in and observe tender adjudication proceedings.
A first of its kind for the city, the public tender adjudication process saw over 100 members of the public converge at the Alberton Council Chambers on Monday for the adjudication of tenders for the ICT, City Planning and Disaster and Emergency Management Departments.
Members of the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC) tackled item A-ICT 03-2016, which entailed the appointment of multiple service providers for the supply, installation and maintenance of wireless network infrastructure (unlicensed frequency) on an as and when required basis with effect from date of award until June 2018.
A total of six organizations submitted bids for the item, five of which were rejected either due to lack of relevant experience or failing to comply with bid conditions.
Speaking at the open tender adjudication meeting, MMC for Finance, Moses Makwakwa, said that seeing the positive response from the community was encouraging for the metro as it showed that people want transparency and accountability on decisions taken on such platforms.
“Through this platform we seek to openly display to the members of the public the process of reaching final decisions when awarding tenders, in that way we are restoring confidence in the government systems,” said Makwakwa.
Rita Eblen from Auto Max, a motor company dealing with vehicle panel beating and mechanical repairs attended the meeting.
“I view this as a very positive step by the municipality and a good learning curve for us members of the business community,” said Eblen.
“These sessions are extremely important for people who wish to tender for the government because by sitting here and observing we learn from other bidders’ mistakes and it helps us to correct our applications. This will also help put tender irregularities at bay,” Eblen continued.
Members of the adjudication committee concluded that the recommended bidder be awarded a portion of the tender for item A-ICT 03-2016, however, because it seeks to appoint multiple service providers, the tender must re-advertised by the end of February 2016.
Another tender which was adjudicated by the BAC was item A-ICT 04-2016 for the appointment of a contractor for the supply and maintenance of a spectrum analyser and/or spectrum analysis services on an as and when required basis.
The tender for the City Planning Department was referred to the next meeting, while the one from the DEMS Department was withdrawn.
