Grapevine

PPDA tribunal cancels WB procurement bid for 2,000 computers

A World Bank-funded procurement bid for 2,000 government laptops and computers has been canceled by the Appeals Tribunal of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act (PPDA).

While canceling the bidding process on Monday evening, the tribunal led by senior counsel Francis Gimara cited impunity on the side of the National Information Technology Uganda (NITA-U), when they failed to cooperate and avail them with the procurement file for perusal during the trial.

NITA officials reasoned that they could not avail the procurement file to the Tribunal on the advice of the World Bank citing the confidentiality clauses.

“The Tribunal has perused the documents relied upon by the respondent (NITA) and finds no lawful justification for the disobedience of the Tribunal’s orders. A confidentiality requirement cannot be invoked against a Tribunal or court with a statutory mandate to adjudicate disputes in a procurement,” ruled the PPDA Appeals Tribunal.

Adding: “As a merits review Tribunal, we are constrained to execute our statutory mandate and adjudicate the merits of the application in the absence of the procurement action file and the bids. In the given premises, the natural consequence of this is that the procurement by the respondent (NITA) for the supply of two thousand devises (1000 desktops and 1000 laptops) is canceled.”