Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 862627,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/862627/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 296,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": "This Government Contracts Bill should provide mechanisms to ensure the projects are phased or implemented in a scope depending on the availability of funds. That is so that we do not put a strain on contractors to a point that they are being auctioned. Many of them have gone out of business. That is why you find the Government has been unable to fulfill its pledge to the youth and women that 30 per cent of contracts will be given to women and the youth. Once most of the youth and women get one contract, they are not paid on time. They will not have capacity to apply for another contract. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the other issue we need to look at is not to make it completely difficult for small contractors who undertake NG-CDF contracts and ward development fund contracts to be paid. They should not be disadvantaged because of provisions of this Bill. For example, it is provided for in Clause 6(3) or Clause 7(3) that, subject to the pecuniary threshold provided for under Section 134 of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 an accounting officer of a procuring entity shall ensure that all contracts are cleared by the relevant authority before they are signed. It is silent on who those relevant authorities are. It is unclear how long those relevant authorities will take to clear the contract before it is signed. Such clarity is important so that one does not commit their funds to acquire a performance bond or a contract security and the funds are held forever, as we wait for the contract to be cleared. On that basis, I support the Bill. We hope the Committee responsible for the Bill will have taken our comments into account and moved amendments in the Committee of the whole House. That will make this Bill useful to the Government by protecting public funds and also not kill businesses as it is now. As we stand, the economy is almost grinding to a halt because the Government, being the biggest spender in the country, is not paying contractors. Banks are seizing contractors’ assets. We are going to have a crisis in the banking sector in the near future, unless urgent measures are taken to ensure Government pays contractors. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker."
}