The United Republic of Tanzania

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT REGULATORY AUTHORITY (PPRA)

News

06 Oct, 2022
Rukwa RC says region has many procurement opportunities for special groups
Rukwa RC says region has many procurement opportunities for special groups

By Zawadi Msalla, Rukwa

Rukwa Regional Commissione Queen Sendika has called upon residents fitting in the special group of youth, elderly, women and people with physical disabilities, to utilize the special preference provided by the public procurement law to seize the procurement opportunities set aside for them in the region, TPJ can report.

Speaking in the Regional Breakfast program that was hosted by Clouds Media Group at Sumbawanga Municipal Council recently, the regional commissioner said there were “lots of tender opportunities” in various projects, including roads and airport construction and called upon PPRA to enhance the awareness program on this fact to the public.

“I would like to encourage all residents in this group to grab the opportunities for their own development,” the RC said, and added however, that there was need to build capacity to government officials on how to apply special preference to the group in the evaluation of tenders.

According to her, many youths in the region lack awareness of the opportunities provided by the public procuring law as they mostly have come to ask for soft loans to put into practice their ideas for self-employment.

“Some are engineers who asked for and got a council loan for purchase of three motorcycles, which they paid back within nine months while others got 50m/- for purchase of brick-making machines… I trust had they grabbed the opportunities set aside for them in public procurement, they would have reaped more benefits,” Ms Sendika said.

The sentiments of the regional commissioner were echoed by the program presenter, Mr. Joseph Muhozi of PPRA, who said the special groups, especially the youths, were being left behind due to a lack of information and knowledge on procurement opportunities and procedures to be an eligible bidder “thereby hindering their fight against poverty and unemployment.”

Mr. Muhozi explained that the procurement law requires all procuring entities to set aside 30 percent of their annual procurement budget for special groups and that the distribution of the 30 percent is 10 for youths, 10 for people with disabilities, 5 for women and 5 for the elderly.

Mr. Muhozi went on to elaborate to the program listeners that given that this financial year’s national budget was 41tril/-, by virtue of the procurement law, 30trn/- has been set aside for procurement from which 9trn/- will go to the special groups.

“Therefore, in this financial year, out of this 9trn/-, the portion for youth is 10 percent, which is 900bn/- ,”he said and added:  

“All the youths need to do is to form a group of five to twenty members, and register it in their district or municipal council so prove they are local dwellers, be listed in PPRA’s register of special groups, and connect with Tanzania e-Procurement System (TANePS) so that they can apply for tender electronically.”

 Other requirements, which are also straightforward to meet, are NIDA-identification cards, introduction letter from local government authority, and a TIN-Number.

PPRA is conducting a special campaign to sensitize special groups, especially the youth, to utilize the preference scheme opportunity provided by the procurement law.