Traders: Tender plan will drive us out of business

What you need to know:

  • Led by Marsabit Chamber of Commerce Chairman Jack Elisha, the business people said they were ready to embrace the new technology but must be trained adequately.
  • Integrated Financial Management Information System (Ifmis) department officer Charles Kichwele pleaded with the business people to accept changes.
  • Mr Abdulahi Suleiman, a Moyale businessman said most of the traders were not computer literate and poor Internet network in Marsabit would greatly interfere with e-procurement.

Business people are not ready for procurement changes introduced recently by the national government.

The more than 200 traders yesterday expressed fears that they could lose out to business people in other counties on tenders and contracts.

The new system requires automation of all procurement processes.

Their fears were expressed during an e-procurement workshop intended to equip them with basic knowledge on the system.

The National Treasury has been sensitising and training traders across the county in e-procurement.

The forum was held at Catholic Hall.

Led by Marsabit Chamber of Commerce Chairman Jack Elisha, the business people said they were ready to embrace the new technology but must be trained adequately.

Mr Elisha said the national government should allow public participation and repeat the training in Marsabit.

“The training only took an hour. To make matters worse, some of our members were not involved. I appeal to the National Treasury to consider repeating the sensitisation and involve everybody,” Mr Elisha told journalists.

Integrated Financial Management Information System (Ifmis) department officer Charles Kichwele pleaded with the business people to accept changes.

He said doing away with the old system would limit underhand deals that had become a norm as far as procurement was concerned.

Mr Abdulahi Suleiman, a Moyale businessman said most of the traders were not computer literate and poor Internet network in Marsabit would greatly interfere with e-procurement.

He added that the technicalities involved in the new system called for a comprehensive mastery of computer skills and fast Internet services. He cited iTax, introduced by the Kenya Revenue Authority.

“Most of us are not techno-savvy. I wonder how we will do business with this technology when we’re already struggling to access the services of (the) Kenya Revenue Authority iTax system, where taxpayers file their returns electronically,” Mr Suleiman said.

Marsabit Chief Financial Officer Shallu Ibrahim asked the business people to get Ifmis registration numbers at the county treasury.