The Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises says the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) operates as an independent institution without undue influence from the ministry or Cabinet.
Finance ministry spokesperson Wilson Ashikoto said this in response to a Procurement Tracker report in which the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) this week said the Cabinet should not be involved in the appointment of the board’s chief executive officer (CEO).
Responding to a media inquiry from The Namibian on the independence of the CPBN, Ashikoto said the procurement board does not fall under the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises and that it is a juristic person in terms of the Public Procurement Act.
He added: “The ministry is the custodian of all state-owned institutions, however, the operation of these institutions is independent of the ministry. The Procurement Policy Unit is the one that falls under the ministry.”
IPPR researcher Frederico Links this week said the recent appointment process for the CEO of the CPBN has been mired in political interference, compromising the independence of the board in the process.
Links was speaking at the launch of the latest Procurement Tracker Namibia report, titled ‘Data Deficit Undermines Governance And Oversight’, in Windhoek.
“Given the significance and profile of the entity, there is, strictly speaking, nothing in law that gives Cabinet the mandate or the power to approve or reject the appointment of the CPBN CEO,” Links said.
According to Links, political motivations and interference in appointments to senior government offices have for the longest time contributed to the weakening of public sector governance systems and processes, undermining public trust.
Two months ago, it was reported that finance and public enterprises minister Iipumbu Shiimi presented Idi Itope as his choice to head the CPBN.
At the time, the Cabinet instructed Shiimi to revisit his decision amid allegations that top performers in interviews for the position were bypassed in favour of a candidate who lagged behind.
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