BMC accused of favouring SA truckers
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday July 11, 2022 06:00
Interested citizen players have decried being sidelined on the matter and believe South African companies will continue enjoying monopoly and pointing accusing fingers at Botswana Meat Commission (BMC).
The BMC supply chain department, which is responsible for this million pula business, was fingered by interested players for allowing domination by South African refrigerated trucks over local companies.
“In order to protect this monopoly, BMC is saying the locals lack capacity for this tender. The truth of the matter is that they cover up and frustrating all concerned parties to favour South African companies,” said a source in transportation business.
But BMC corporate communications officer, Mokoko Gaboutloeloe has dismissed the claims that South Africans are being favoured at the expense of locals. He rather stated that local companies have not been coming to the party.
“BMC is presently serviced by Crystal Cool Logistix and Aspen Logistics (both South African owned companies), for refrigerated truck services for products going to Cape Town from its abattoirs in Botswana. This arrangement started through a contract that elapsed in 2017, having ran for three (3) years. The two companies were supporting BMC Francistown and BMC Lobatse,” he said.
Gaboutloeloe added a tender for refrigerated transport services was issued in 2018, but could not be finalised following the collapse of the then BMC board of commissioners, that would have otherwise had the mandate to award tenders for the contract sum.
This, he said coincided with the drastic decrease in product volumes to be freighted to Cape Town and the closure of the Francistown abattoir.
He explained the relationship has since then been characterised by ad-hoc engagement of either of the two companies based on operational needs (price and response time) as well as the need for such services.
Noting the increase and certainty of product volumes for refrigerated freighter services, Gaboutloeloe said BMC management is working on re-issuance of a public tender for the services.
He dismissed corruption claims at the BMC as unfounded. “We are not aware of any corrupt and/nor unethical conduct on this matter, besides there are established entities within Botswana placed with the fuller mandate of investigating any procurement breaches,” he said.
“BMC therefore invites those placed with any information of alleged malpractices on this matter or any other for that matter, to report to investigating entities or to the BMC.”
In the 2018 tender (though never finalised) BMC, in its drive to enlist and develop local suppliers, had offered 40% of the entire contract for local companies/transporters however the quota was not able to attract targeted suppliers – citing pricing concerns and capacity challenges.
“The companies that ended up providing services then, provided competitive prices, and are mostly South African based. It could be that they charge for a one-way freight as they are able to in the same, collect deliveries from South Africa and deliver within South Africa, whereas Botswana companies are in the main prohibited from doing so (in South Africa). Simply put, BMC procures for one-way load between Botswana and Cape Town, and does not pay for the return loads,” he further said.
Gaboutloeloe also said the envisaged re-issuance of the tender, will also provide for same quota for local transportation service providers, as part of BMC’s citizen empowerment policy.