PARLIAMENT on Monday summoned local companies exposed by the latest Auditor General’s (AG) report for failing to supply vehicles purchased by government entities.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said it would summon Solutions Motors, a company engaged by the government and paid to supply vehicles but had defaulted on the agreements made.
Kuwadzana East MP and PAC chairperson Charlton Hwende told journalists that Solution Motors was now claiming insolvency.
Solutions Motors was supposed to update the committee on the delivery status of the vehicles to date in respect of the procurement contracts that it entered with each of the entities.
The company management did not turn up for an oral evidence hearing at Parliament on Monday leading to the committee invoking Standing Orders to summon it.
“The company was contracted to deliver vehicles to some ministries.
“We have resolved that we will ask the Clerk of Parliament (Kennedy Chokuda) to issue summons in terms of Standing Orders of Parliament and force it to come to the House and respond.
“We are going to request the presence of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) at the next meeting so that they can see it through,” Hwende said after committee deliberations.
Further, he reported that “Solutions Motors had claimed it no longer exists, and had closed its doors for business.
“The committee resolved that the company’s former directors who were running the company should be summoned in their individual capacity.”
Hwende discouraged such companies from being given tenders saying such issues were now increasing.
Other companies which are yet to appear before PAC and did not deliver vehicles to different government entities included Dulys, FARAMATSI, CMED, AMTEC, Canon Motors and Mike Harris.
“The current report is worse off than the previous AG’s report in terms of failure to supply required goods and services paid for by the government.
“As you can see, It is now the norm among several contracted companies not to take seriously their contractual obligations.
“They do not even take Parliament seriously. How do you apologise for such a serious issue? The letter by the Clerk to the supplier should have timelines,” he said. – NewZimbabwe
