President Hage Geingob will not cancel the tender which was awarded to a local businessman to supply clinical medical items to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, despite public outcry.

Geingob on Thursday afternoon issued a media statement distancing himself from any cancellation of the tender valued at N.dollars 650 million as it was awarded to the businessman by the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) .

Geingob in the statement said the CPBN is the statutory body which is fully empowered by the Public Procurement Act and tender laws to invite bids of a tender, evaluate it, award or cancel such a procurement process.

“Therefore, the CPBN, which is not a member of the Executive or Presidency, is the appropriate functionary with powers to call for these bids, evaluate, make awards or in some cases cancel any processes related to such a tender,” he said.

The President further stated that the same Public Procurement Act also gives the aggrieved bidders a right to request for an internal reconsideration of award of a tender through a recently introduced Amendment Act.

The statement added that according to the tendering Act, the aggrieved bidders may also approach the tender review panel or approach the High Court of Namibia in cases of any suspected irregularities to the awarding of tenders by the CPBN.

“Thus, the President urges lawmakers and members of the public who are calling on President Geingob to cancel the tender aimed at supplying the clinic medical goods to the ministry to familiarise themselves with the country’s tender laws, which were passed by the legislature,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency