The State Minister for Finance in charge of General Duties Henry Musasizi has said that the government is reviewing the hybrid procurement method amidst criticisms from local governments.
On Monday, a section of local government leaders in Northern Uganda faulted the procurement method arguing it is characterized by delayed procurement, and a lack of clarity which has affected service delivery.
The leaders were attending a regional budget consultative meeting organized by the Ministry of Finance, planning, and Economic Development.
Hybrid procurement is a method of procurement where the local and central governments conduct joint procurements.
The Minister during the meeting admitted to the leaders that the hybrid method of procurement is indeed having challenges.
Musasizi said that the government through the Ministry of Finance has since instituted a subcommittee to analyze the challenges to find a lasting solution.
Musasizi had responded to concerns raised by Lamwo Resident District Commissioner Godfrey Osborn Oceng who highlighted that a contractor hired by the Ministry of Water and Environment to rehabilitate the Agoro irrigation scheme had vanished from the site.
According to Oceng, the government last year awarded a contract a one-year contract for the rehabilitation of the irrigation scheme in Agoro Sub-county to Geet International Pvt Ltd but the contractor has failed to deliver.
He says that efforts to get an explanation from the contractor have been futile since the contractor doesn’t respond to their complaints or heed their calls for a meeting.
He says the delayed rehabilitation of the scheme stems from the hybrid procurement method which has made the contractor only pay allegiance to the Central Government instead of the local government.
Oceng says there is a need to review the hybrid procurement method and have an inclusive procurement in which the local government is at the center of decision-making.
Gulu LCV Chairperson Christopher Ateker equally reiterates that the procurement procedure is giving them a lot of challenges since contractors centrally procured have failed to complete the majority of their contracts.
According to Ateker, the government awarded a contract to construct a Seed secondary school in Palaro Sub-county in 2018 but the contractor to date hasn’t finished the construction work.
Musasizi however sounded warnings to contractors who perform shoddy work but still fail to liaise with district authorities saying they will be dealt with.
