STAE hiring of vehicles cancelled
The National Directorate of State Assets, in Mozambique’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, has ordered the cancellation of a contract awarded by the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE) to hire vehicles for use during voter registration in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
The award was for the hire of 21 4x4 vehicles, and the contract was won by the company Omar Rent-a-Car, without any public competition. STAE was to pay Omar 88.225 million meticais (about 1.4 million US dollars, at the current exchange rate).
This was an exorbitant, and possibly corrupt sum. Critics were quick to point out that it would have been cheaper to buy the cars outright.
A source in the Ministry cited by the independent newssheet “Carta de Mocambique”, said “The Cabo Delgado STAE has been notified to cancel the award. We recommend that, if there is money in the budget for this purpose, a new process for acquiring vehicles be initiated, under the Public Hiring Regulations, and within the limits established for acquiring vehicles”.
A Ministry team has been formed to analyse on the ground the contracting procedures used by the Cabo Delgado branch of STAE.
“Carta de Mozambique” suggests that the order to cancel the award came from the Minister of Economy and Finance himself, Max Tonela.
The Ministry’s order may have come too late, since there are reports that much of the money has already been spent.
STAE has struck similar deals in other provinces, but it is not yet clear how much money these involve.
(AIM)
