The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has implored women, the youth, the elderly and people with physical disability to pursue opportunities brought about by the preference scheme under public procurement law that compels procuring entities to set aside 30 percent of their budgets to special groups.

Speaking to members of Tanzania Association of the Physically Disabled for Mbeya, as part of Nane Nane festivities in Mbeya, Chief Public Relations Officer of PPRA, Miss. Zawadi Msalla, said out of the budget set aside for special groups, 5 percent was in fact specific to people with physical disability.  

“This is a rare opportunity from the Government, which, if used as envisioned would expand the availability of jobs”, she said but expressed concern that facts point to a very small number of takers countrywide, mainly due to a lack of awareness.  

Miss Msalla said she was pleased to note that despite various challenges, this time around during the Nane Nane festivities, several members of the association visited the PPRA pavilion where all their querries on the preference scheme got answers which led to them being registered as a special group.

“Therefore, from now, this special group can compete for tenders in this region,” Ms. Msalla said, adding that such groups could even access financial loans specifically set aside for them through Prime Minister’s Office, district and municipal councils and other public entities.

“People with physical disabilities, women, the elderly and youth can successfully use these loans as capital for implementing their tenders,” she said.

“Furthermore, banks are also expanding their financing to the agricultural sector where there is an increase in Government tenders which these groups can compete for,” said Ms. Msalla.

Ms. Msalla revisited the procedure necessary before a group could legally be registered as a special group entitled to participate in public tenders, remind them that it is essential that they be recognized as such by a public entity like a district or municipal council, Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO), and Tanzania Rural Roads Agency (Tarura) and that before getting registered they would first get training on public procurement processes and on financial management before finally getting registered by PPRA as a special group.