E219.2m tenders awarded by ERS in 2022/23

LOBAMBA – The value of tenders awarded by the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) during the financial year 2022/23 indicated a massive increase of over 200 per cent, when compared to the previous year.

In line with ERS policies and The Procurement Act of 2011, the organisation commissioned several tenders for the procurement of goods and services. The total value of tenders awarded in 2022/23 was E219 244 214. There were 74 tenders issued during this period.

This showed a significant increase in the value of tenders awarded by the organisation, when compared to the previous financial year of 2021/22, where 23 tenders were awarded to the tune of E55 180 606.43.

The tenders were awarded mostly to local companies in various sectors including ICT and Construction, among others.

This is according to the ERS integrated annual report for 2022/23, tabled by the Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg in Parliament on Friday.

This integrated report reflects the performance of ERS against its strategy and annual performance targets, compiled in line with the legislative and governance framework. This report covers the financial year April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 and demonstrates value created by the organisation and matters material to creating value in the short, medium and long term.

The report attempts to follow the principles of the King IV Code on Corporate Governance (King IV) and is guided by the principles and requirements of the Integrated Reporting Council (IIWRC) framework, providing relevant insights into the implementation of 2021/22 - 2023/24 ERS Strategic Plan, organisational performance, governance, human capital development, risk management and corporate social investment.

The tenders issued by ERS have been increasing since 2019/20, where 13 tenders were issued to the value of E51 655 809. They dropped in 2020/21, where only 10 tenders were issued to the value of E36 292 659.92. This drop could be attributed to the outbreak of COVID-19, which saw several business operations stalled.

The contribution of ERS to the business sector in terms of tenders increased again in 2021/22, where the 23 tenders were issued to the value of E55 180 606.