DPP legislature raise eyebrows on goat distribution Project

Democratic Progressive (DPP) parliamentarian for Nsanje Lalanje, Gladys Ganda, has accused the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) for awarding contracts to the highest bidders in the supply and delivery of goats under Post Cyclone Idai and Kenneth Emergency Recovery and Resilience (PCIREP) Project.

Ganda said the prices of goats for breeding are within K15, 000 to a maximum of K20, 000 but DoDMA has awarded contracts to highest bidders leaving out those who pegged their prices between K28, 000 and K32, 000 when transport is included.

She said: “As a Shadow Minister of Trade, I find this unreasonable, corrupt and an insult to Malawians.”

She further said if DoDMA wanted prudence in the procurement of these goats, the best way was to use the Councils to buy these goats direct from the farmers in the designated areas of delivery.

“I also ask you Malawians to go to the Office of the Registrar of Companies and check the names of the owners of AWS Trucking and ASIP and A Investment, a company dealing with trucking is now supplying goats, is this true my fellow Malawians? Not at all.

“This could have reduced the cost fairly and it would have empowered the local farmers unlike what is happening here where the 2 companies that are being earmarked to be given the contracts, will go and buy from farmers poorly with as little as K10 000 yet the same goat is attracting K41 000 from Government,” she said.

Furthermore, she claimed that she has reliable information that there were 73 bidders and out of these, 53 qualified and these were therefore asked to provide bid security of K10 million each where some of the bidders had placed their prices between K28,000 and K32,000.

However she expressed surprise that DODMA decided to leave out cheaper bidders and opt for highest ones.

“Why is DODMA not engaging local suppliers in the designated areas for example Phalombe suppliers should supply in their districts because that would make the prices very affordable or why not decentralise by using the Councils?,” she said.

With a grant from Africa Development Bank (ADF), the Government of Malawi is financing (PCIREP) Project to restore and improve sustainable livelihoods of the affected vulnerable groups.