UNICEF embroiled in tender row

Financial Gazette
Thursday 15 April 2010
By Clemence Manyukwe, Staff Reporter

A UNITED Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) US$13 million tender for the local printing of 2, 6 million primary school textbooks has sparked controversy with some publishers calling for its suspension, citing irregularities. The tendering process saw Longman Zimbabwe being awarded the tender last Thursday after donors’ availed funds as part of the Education Transition Fund (ETF) launched by government last year that will see 13 million primary school textbooks being printed by year end.

Information obtained by The Financial Gazette indicates that 20 percent of 13 million textbooks — 2,6 million — earmarked for distribution to impoverished local primary schools, would be printed locally with the remainder supplied from outside the country.

Disgruntled publishers this week petitioned the Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart, alleging that the tendering process lacked transparency as adjudication results were not made public prior to awarding the contract as was the norm in a public tender.

Yesterday, UNICEF described as unfounded the allegations of irregularities saying the UN agency follows strict international guidelines in procurement, based on competitive tendering.

The UN agency said the process was endorsed by government and donors, adding that it was critical for Zimbabweans to understand that the ETF will bring immense benefits to its children.

In their petition to Senator Coltart, the publishers claimed that the least cost approach was not observed resulting in publishers who were cheaper losing out on the contract.

“It is obvious the award of tender entrenches a monopoly that is going to be harmful to students taking into account the magnitude and the impact of the decision. (a) Only one publisher will remain in the country taking into account that the other two will have no business to sustain themselves for the coming three years, so will eventually close. (b) Only one product will be available to students irrespective of how good or bad it is thereby restricting our children to only one thought and influence. (c) The removal of competition and entrenchment of a monopoly will ensure that there will be no incentive or economic argument to force the remaining publisher to improve or upgrade products going to schools. (d) The tender award will obviously cause the two other publishers to shut down because the primary school section is the breadwinner for all publishers. The closure will result in retrenchments.”

The tender controversy has also sucked in printers. In a two-hour meeting yesterday, printers resolved to pressure Coltart to cancel the tender. The printers said they have been contracted to do the work at below printing cost, in what they suspect is a ploy to force them out so that the contract wo-uld be given to a South African Printer connected to Longman Zi-mbabwe.

In an interview yesterday, Coltart said he had not seen the petition, but added that all queries must be addressed to UNICEF, which handled the process.

The Minister, however, added that UNICEF rules were used in the tender and donors who provided funds had laid down specific requirements.

On the other hand UNICEF spokesperson, Tsitsi Singizi, dismissed charges that the least cost approach was not observed.

“We refute these allegations,” said Singizi. “As UNICEF, our emphasis is of course placed on getting the best value for Zimbabwe’s children. “This means selection of the current supplier was based on price offered, payment terms, demonstrated compliance to specifications, technical capacity, delivery time, proof of printed textbooks and use by schools and utilisation of local capacity. The selection was also conducted in accordance with Ministry of Education guidance on textbook subject and grade quality and from the allowed MoESAC (Education Ministry) list of books,” she said.

She said the UN agency was concerned about local industries, a development that would see its local procurement value for this year standing at an estimated value of between US$10 million and US$15 million.

“Our preoccupation remains to ensure that every Zim-babwean child has access to a full set of textbooks and the required stationary and this pogramme will do that, ensuring that textbooks ratios are brought down to a pupil to text book ratio 1:1,” said the UNICEF spokesperson.

Longman Zimbabwe’s managing director who was identified only as Madondo said she cannot comment on allegations by printers on the below printing cost issue saying she had not attended their meeting.

“I can’t comment because I was not in that meeting. I am a publisher, not a printer. Please direct your questions to the printers.”