Monitor contracts closely, ZIPS urged administration

CONTRACT management and administration does not end at the award of contract but goes until the project is delivered and the end users are satisfied, Commerce, Trade and Industry minister Christopher Yaluma has said.

Mr Yaluma said contract management should always be a complete process, spanning through various phases.

He said it was therefore important that procurement specialists and other professionals were well versed with all the phases involved in contract management and government and the World Bank. Mr Banda said the system had helped to improve compliance levels of the mining companies in terms of reporting their production figures every month.

He was speaking in an interview in Lusaka.

“I must indicate that a system has now been put in place called the Mineral Output Statistical system that has managed to migrate the mines from manual reporting to electronic reporting. Previous the mines used to report manually on paper and as at now all the 12 major mines are using electronic reporting of the production figures,” Mr Banda said.

He said under the current system, the mines had improved their reporting mechanism from being behind to reporting the production figures before the due date which is the 15th of every month.

Mr Banda said that 100 per cent compliance had been achieved from the all the 12 major mines and would now move

Mr Yaluma was speaking during the Zambia Institute of Purchasing and Supply (ZIPS) gala dinner at the weekend in Lusaka.

The minister said retention was important but regretted that some projects and infrastructure handed over to government developed faults a few months down the line.

“I wish to challenge you here that where are your contract managers who awarded these contracts? In other instances, contractors have abandoned projects.

Where are you as an institute to concentrate on the small scale miners.

He said the focus had moved to incorporate the small scale miners aimed at improving their compliance levels as well.

“The other key aspect is the export permits, if you recall that the mines used to apply for permits manually and then use the same permits to submit at the borders but now the situation to help Government, when you even have an Act of Parliament to support you,” he asked.

Mr Yaluma advised ZIPS members to manage its suppliers, contractors and consultants even in difficult times when payments fall due and funds were not readily available to meet the datelines.

ZIPS president Chibwe Mwelwa said the institute would enhance its mandate of training and regulating the conduct of procurement professionals in Zambia.

He said every individual working in procurement and has changed because it is automated. The mines are now able to apply for export permits electronically and submitted electronically to the Ministry of Mines for approval and later sent to ZRA,” Mr Banda said.

In addition, 18 equipment were procured and placed at the borders to help analyse the mineral contents if the match with what’s on the permits. supply must be registered and authorised to practice in Zambia by the institute.

The institute, he said, had a challenging mandate but was equal to the task.

I wish to challenge you here that where are your contract managers who awarded these contracts? In other instances, contractors have abandoned projects.