So what does the Minister and her department do now (besides wipe more egg from their collective faces) that the Sekunjalo tender has been withdrawn/cancelled/trashed?
One option of course is that the tender invitation gets a make-over and potential service providers submit fresh tenders.
Another option would be to actually make use our Navy! Since the procurement of the infamous Corvettes, the Navy has been extremely interested in assisting with combatting IUU fishing on behalf of the Fisheries Branch.
The Navy surely has the skills and resources to manage, maintain and deploy our fisheries patrol and research vessels? In addition to providing the professional skills to man our vessels, their management of our vessels could also serve a broader coast-guard function, combatting piracy and the growing drug-trade by sea.
Not to mention that the Fisheries Department could immediately save a ton of money (or a billion to be more precise)!
I think the best would be, subject to Treasury approval that the original tender must be extended for 12 months. Smith Amandla Marine could be paid a modest increase of about 10% on last years price.
ReplyDeleteThe tender proses needs to be started from scratch and this would give them 12 months to complete. This time they must make sure that they stick to the letter of the law. I will be watching them like a Hawk.