ZPPA suspends 5 cheating firms

FIVE companies have been suspended by the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) for submitting forged tender documents.

ZPPA principal officer-public relations and communications Mr Chipandwe named the firms as Peace Corps Investments, Try Tech Limited, Habitech Limited, Gifdon Enterprises and Lonch Properties who have been suspended for one year.

Mr Chipandwe said the action was in pursuant to Section 65 of the Public Procurement Act No. 12 of 2008 and regulation 16 which gave powers to ZPPA to mete out punitive measures.

In a statement issued yesterday, he said the authority received reports from procuring entities regarding the suspicious documents that were submitted by the five companies in response to advertised tenders.

He said ZPPA has since directed controlling officers, Permanent Secretaries, chief executive officers of parastatal companies as well as Town Clerks and council secretaries to enforce the suspension by not awarding contracts to the five firms.

“The authority wishes to direct procuring entities not to enter into any new contracts with five suspended companies during the period the suspension is in force,” he said.

Mr Chipandwe however, said the suspension did not in any way limit the obligations of the five companies to complete their contractual obligations before the date of suspension.