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The Zambia Public Procurement Authority says it was not involved in the procurement of the 42 controversial fire engines at the cost of 42 million dollars.
Speaking at a media briefing today, ZPPA Director General Danies Chisenda said the Authority only exists to regulate procurement by public institutions.
Mr. Chisenda said the fire tenders were procured by the Ministry of Local Government because ZPPA does not procure goods and services for any public institutions.
He explained that in 2008, government passed the Public Procurement Act to reform and decentralize public procurement, a policy which was effected in 2013, giving public institutions powers to procure goods and services for themselves.
And the Ndola City Council has received one fire truckers from the 42 that were recently procured by Government.
The Council has since thanked the Ministry of Local Government for equipping it with what it called brand new state of the art fire truck.
It said the newly acquired fire tender will enable the Local Authority to respond to fires and other related emergencies more effectively and efficiently.
The Council said it is also elated that the Ministry had taken innitiative to train some of its officers in the operation of the new fire tenders.
Meanwhile, Siavonga District Commissioner (DC) Lovemore Kanyama has commended government for providing a fire tender to curb fire incidents and damage to infrastructure in the district.
ZANIS reports that Mr Kanyama said the modern fire tender which is one of the 42 fire engines the ministry of local government recently purchased at a cost of US$42 million will now equip the district with the capacity to quench any fire.
Mr Kanyama disclosed that the district has been running without a fire tender since it was created many decades ago exposing government and private properties to risk in an event of a fire outbreak.
The District Commissioner said it was a risk for Siavonga district which has the biggest Hydro power station in the country to operate without a fire tender.
Mr Kanyama assured the ministry of local government that handed over the fire tender to the district yesterday that Siavonga district will look after the fire tender safely to meet people’s aspiration of protecting their property.
He also appealed to ZESCO management to invest in fire tenders so that they can supplement the one which is already in the district to effectively handle any fire outbreak. |
