Maravi

Tender Talk

Tender Talk
By Zambia National Tender Board and The Post Newspaper
Tuesday May 13, 2008 [04:00]

When two organisations or individuals form a partnership or a joint venture, the outcome is that both partners benefit mutually in one way or the other. A partnership should improve and enhance both parties’ interests for the common good. The resultant synergy should add value to both organisations.

The Zambia National Tender Board (ZNTB) has embarked on a stakeholder sensitisation exercise aimed at strengthening its relations with clients, stakeholders and the general public. Yes, ZNTB believes that every organisation exists for and is reliant on the satisfaction of its clients and stakeholders.

It is with this view that the Zambia National Tender Board has made deliberate efforts towards developing and sustaining mutual relations with targeted groups of people. ZNTB believes that an enlightened society will add value to its operations and ultimately, to the quality of its service delivery.

To maintain such relations with clients, stakeholders and the general public, ZNTB has outlined a calculated communication and sensitisation programme aimed at increasing levels of awareness and understanding of the public procurement system in Zambia.

The media in whatever form, print or electronic, is a major stakeholder in information dissemination. It is imperative therefore, that deliberate efforts are made to work with and through the media to get specific information known to targeted groups of people.

The ZNTB is aware that as a public institution tasked to regulate and control public procurement, it has a duty and obligation to inform and educate clients about the vital role that public procurement plays in national development.

The growing interest by most, if not all, Zambians to keep track with what is happening in the public sector can no longer be overlooked.

The concern by the public to know how their financial resources are utilized and how the consequent provision of goods and services is undertaken has made it imperative for organisation such as ZNTB to begin to value their relations with clients more and make conscious steps to inform and educate them about their plans and activities.

And as a way of addressing this issue the ZNTB in collaboration with The Post newspaper have decided to start a stakeholder sensitisation column entitled ‘tender talk’. This column will discuss topical issues in public procurement and will explore in greater detail issues about tender procedures, tender regulations and procurement guidelines, the ZNTB Act and the current procurement reforms, to name but a few.

As ZNTB we give gratitude to The Post newspaper for giving us an opportunity to use this paper to push our cause forward.

It is true that society has its own perceptions of the public procurement system in Zambia. The perceptions can be factual or incorrect depending on how knowledgeable clients and stakeholders are. This column will help mold those perceptions.

As a public institution, we dedicate our efforts to our clients, stakeholders and the general public. We hope that this column will begin to address issues in public procurement and will help us clarify queries that may arise. Please look out for our weekly column every Tuesday and learn more about ZNTB and the public procurement system in Zambia.

Labels: JOINT VENTURES, PROCUREMENT SYSTEMS, TENDER OFFERS, THE POST, ZNTB

posted by MrK @ 11:29 AM