Zambia’s largest pension fund NAPSA has awarded a K4 million contract for cleaning services to a foreign owned firm that is under investigations by the Anti Corruption Commission for corruption, tax evasion and money laundering.
Tender documents seen confirm that the firm was recently awarded the lucrative contract to clean Napsa owned properties including Levy Mall, Napsa Headquarters including regional offices.
The award of the contract has infuriated the Cleaning Association of Zambia and have since called for its cancellation.
Association President Lawrence Makumbi stated that awarding such a huge contract to a foreign entity abrogates the law that stipulates that the cleaning sector is a preserve of local companies.
Mr Makumbi wondered why Napsa can proceed to do business with an entity which had had its accounts frozen by the ACC for corruption related offenses.
“We know that the ACC has found some very damaging issues at this company and its mind boggling that Napsa has ignored all those and awarded the contract,” he said.
Mr Makumbi believes that awarding such a huge contract to a locally indigenous owned company would have gone a long way in growing the cleaning sector.
“Imagine 4 million given to a local coming, even splitting the order so that more companies participate. That would help grow our industry,” he stated.
Mr Makumbi has since implored President Hakainde Hichilema to take a keen interest at the happenings in some parastatals.
“Our appeal is that the procurement team at Napsa be disbanded, some people there have overstated and they are acting not in the interest of the organisation and are facilitating corruption,” he said.
Mr. Makumbi insisted that local cleaning firms have the capacity to clean all major establishments in the country.
“Who is cleaning these places? It’s the same Zambian men and women. The foreign company owners just come here to get the contracts and they ask our people to clean the places. So Zambians can clean and clean very well.”