Government signs more Richmond-type contracts

[The Informer]

Government signs more
Richmond-type contracts

TWO COMPANIES AWARDED NEW POWER GENERATION DEALS UNDER CONTROVERSIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES AS THE NATION IS GRIPPED BY YET ANOTHER ELECTRICITY CRISIS

THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam

THE government has quietly signed two power generation contracts worth around 200 million US dollars (approx. 300bn/-) under circumstances that bare some of the hallmarks of the infamous Richmond/Dowans scandal, it has been revealed.

According well-placed government officials, the Ministry of Energy and Minerals and the state-run Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) awarded the tenders during the general election period.

The two separate energy contracts involve the procurement of a 100-megawatt, gas-fired power plant at Ubungo in Dar es Salaam, and the purchase of a 60MW power plant in Nyakato, Mwanza, which will run on heavy fuel oil.

TANESCO has already signed an agreement with a Norwegian power turbine company, Jacobsen Elektro AS, for the supply of a 105 MW gas-fired power plant in Dar es Salaam expected to become operational in 2012.

A Danish company, SEMCO Maritime JV, was awarded the 60MW Mwanza power project.
Officials with the Ministry of Energy and Minerals were not immediately available to comment on circumstances behind the awarding of the contracts.

"Just like the Richmond scandal, senior government officials in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals interfered with the tender process and forced TANESCO to sign agreements with the two companies," said an official close to the government.

It is understood that the contracts were awarded contrary to guidelines set by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).

"TANESCO had recommended that the contracts should be awarded to a direct manufacturer of power turbines after thorough evaluation to avoid middlemen like those behind the previous Richmond company," said one official.

"However, senior officials in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals meddled in the process and rejected TANESCO's recommendations."

Tenders for the contracts were advertised in July 2009, but were canceled following allegations of irregularities in the process.

"The tender process was resumed only for the same Richmond/Dowans scandal to be repeated all over again. The contracts were awarded to trading companies instead of direct manufacturers of power turbines," said another official close to TANESCO.

She added: "Some prominent individuals, including businessmen and former senior government officials were aggressively lobbying for these power generation contracts."

It has been alleged that the same people linked to the 2006 Richmond scandal were the architects behind the two deals.

Under tender number PA/001/09/HQ/W/016, TANESCO invited bids for the "supply, installation, testing and commissioning" of the emergency,gas-based 100MW power generation plant in Dar es Salaam, on a turn-key basis.

A turn-key project is a type of project that is constructed by a developer and sold or turned over to a buyer (in this case, TANESCO) in a ready-to-use condition.

On the other hand, tender number PA/001/09/HQ/W/018 involves the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a 60MW power plant in Nyakato, Mwanza, that will use dual-heavy fuel oil for power generation. The proposed Mwanza power plant is also a turn-key project.

According to our government sources, the bid winners for both projects were supposed to be picked on the basis of experience, technical capacity, fulfillment of tender requirements, and other such aspects.

"But the tender process was flouted and the contracts were awarded to these two companies contrary to the public procurement legislation and TANESCO's expert recommendations," she said.

The latest revelations come as Tanzania is gripped by yet another energy crisis, with TANESCO being forced to introduce rolling power blackouts.

It has already been suggested that a giant $2 billion power generation project that could have potentially defined President Jakaya Kikwete's legacy is being held back by corruption, government bureaucracy and lack of political will.

Officials say the proposed 2,100 megawatt (MW) Stiegler's Gorge hydro-power station was being sabotaged by powerful businessmen and senior government officials who have been benefiting from corrupt emergency power generation contracts.

Tanzania's energy demand stands at 900MW, which means that the embattled Stiegler's Gorge project could have ended the nation's chronic electricity shortages and produced more than 1,000MW of excess power for export.

<Source: THISDAY, December 20-26, 2010, issue>

 

[Kivumah]

yangu masikio na macho

 

[Rugaijamu]

Shamba la bibi hili,acha waendelee kuvuna tu!

 

[Kinyambiss]

I swear.. we are so full of rubbish..

 

[Fareed]

Nimesikia tetesi kuwa Rostam Aziz ambaye alihusika na Richmond/Dowans na kampuni yake ya CASPIAN Construction ilikuwa ni local contractor wa Richmond/Dowans pia ni mhusika mkuu kwenye miradi hii mipya miwili ya umeme. Kampuni yake ya CASPIAN pia ndiyo local contractor wa miradi yote hii mipya. Nasikia pia kuna vigogo wa zamani wa usalama wa taifa na jeshi wamo kwenye tenda hii na walikuwa wanaonekana kila mara wizarani kupigia debe tenda hii.

Kuna taarifa kuwa dili lote hili limesukwa na Katibu Mkuu wa Wizara ya Nishati na Madini, David Jairo, wakati serikali ya Kikwete ikiwa busy kwenye kipindi cha uchaguzi mkuu.

Rostam Aziz kaipiga bao tena Tanzania!

Gazeti la THISDAY lilionya kuhusu mpango wa kifisadi wa kutwaa tenda hizo tangu mwaka jana, lakini serikali haikuchukua hatua yoyote ile kuzuia mafisadi wa Richmond wasipewe tenda mpya tena za umma.

A new Richmond is coming...

THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam
CERTAIN businessmen-cum-politicians implicated in the infamous Richmond deal are now chasing up two brand-new contracts worth more than $100m (approx. 140bn/-) from the state-run Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) for the construction of power generating plants in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, THISDAY can reveal today.
The two separate energy contracts involve the procurement of a 100-megawatts, gas-fired power plant at Ubungo in Dar es Salaam, and the purchase of a 60MW power plant in Nyakato, Mwanza, which will run on heavy fuel oil.
Government officials have confirmed that the same people said to be behind the 2006 Richmond scandal are now well-positioned to be awarded the contracts using a different company name.
TANESCO received bids for both projects in June this year, but the tender process has since been shrouded in apparent secrecy and controversy.
It is understood that the group of Richmond-tainted businessmen-cum-politicians, working as a syndicate of sorts, submitted bids for the two contracts under another company name, ostensibly in an attempt to hide the identities of the real owners of the firm.
The 'syndicate' is said to be using the same network of government officials who facilitated the Richmond deal, to ensure it stays ahead in the race to land the latest contracts.
"A new Richmond is coming...," a senior government official familiar with the latest TANESCO tenders told THISDAY.
According to government insiders, the bids submitted by the 'syndicate' for the contracts were inflated by more than $30m (approx. 40bn/-).
"These people received inside information on the tenders, and submitted bids for both. In fact, there are reports going around that both contracts have already been awarded to the same people who were behind the Richmond scandal," said the senior government official.
The 'syndicate' is said to have been doing lots of behind-the-scenes maneuvering since early this year to land the new contracts.
"These people have the audacity and dastardly courage to repeat the same methods of fraud, misrepresentation of facts, bribery and what-have-you that they deployed to secure the Richmond contract, this time around as well," said the government official.
Under tender number PA/001/09/HQ/W/016, TANESCO invited bids for the "supply, installation, testing and commissioning" of the emergency,gas-based 100MW power generation plant in Dar es Salaam, on a turn-key basis.
A turn-key project is a type of project that is constructed by a developer and sold or turned over to a buyer (in this case, TANESCO) in a ready-to-use condition.
On the other hand, tender number PA/001/09/HQ/W/018 involves the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a 60MW power plant in Nyakato, Mwanza, that will use dual-heavy fuel oil for power generation. The proposed Mwanza power plant is also a turn-key project.
According to our government sources, the bid winner(s) for both projects was expected to be picked on the basis of experience, technical capacity, fulfillment of tender requirements, and other such aspects.
"But the word is now out that the one company already awarded both contracts...has never worked in Tanzania before, nor does it have any power generation experience in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa," the sources said.
Contacted for comment, the Minister for Energy and Minerals, William Ngeleja, asserted that the TANESCO tender board is still in the process of assessing bids from various companies for the two tenders, and no formal decision has been made so far on the bid winner or winners.
"It's too early to comment on this matter now because the tender process is still in the early stages...," the minister told THISDAY.
The official deadline for submission of bids for the two tenders expired on June 5 this year, meaning that TANESCO has been processing the bids for almost six months now.

Source: THISDAY, November 30, 2009

 

[VoiceOfReason]

:angry::A S angry:I think I will stop reading papers and listening to the radio..... Hii ni mbaya sana kwa afya yangu

 

[Henge]

:angry::A S angry:I think I will stop reading papers and listening to the radio..... Hii ni mbaya sana kwa afya yangu

kipindi cha ucgaguzi uliochakachuliwa nilifanya hivyo mkuu, tatizo nilishindwa kutoka hapa janvini! NA kipindi cha Richmond niliacha kusoma mwanahalisi na sikutaka kabisa kusikiliza redio na kusoma magazeti, kwa sasa nikimsikia rowasa natapika sijui nifanyeje??

 

[The Khoisan]

Mh. Zitto nakuona nawe unavinjari humu.................Vipi msimamo wako kuhusu hili. Je unatuahidi nini wananchi???

 

[Fareed]

Hii nchi imeshindikanika kwa rushwa. Ngoja nianzishe thread mpya kuhusu fisadi Tanil Somaiya alivyofanya kufuru Ikulu siku ya uhuru.

 

[mariabeno]

Hivi tuseme mkuu wa kaya hayajui haya, jibu haiwezekani kuwa hayajui; na kama anayajua anachukua hatua gani! Ninamashaka kwa ukimya huu nae yumo. ....tanganyika ya wadanganyika......kwishnei

 

[Nyunyu]

Eeeeh!!!

 

[The Khoisan]

Hivi huu umeme wa mega watts 100 kila siku utamaliza tatizo la umeme lini??? Kweli serikali haina dhamira ya kuwaletea maendeleo wananchi.

 

[VoiceOfReason]

Hivi mnajua na umeme unapanda from January mwakani????........

 

[Job K]

:angry::A S angry:I think I will stop reading papers and listening to the radio..... Hii ni mbaya sana kwa afya yangu

Pole ndugu yangu angalia usije ukazimia!! Unaweza kuishiwa pumzi eti!! na sisi wa-TZ ma-mbumbumbu ya mwisho yaani kati ya mbumbumbu sisi ndo tunavuta mkia! Huyu Mu-Asia sijui ataendelea kutunyonya mpaka lini jamani? Mkwere huyu naye mpumbavu sana yaani yupo tu nchi inaibiwa wandugu!!! Naungana na mwanaharakati mmoja humu JF alipendekeza tuanze kuwatoa mmoja mmoja hawa MAFISADI. Hivi hili haliwezekani? Hatuwezi hata tukapata wazalendo kama mia hivi wa kujitoa mhanga ili uchumi wetu usalimike jamani?

Ama kweli Tanzania ni shamba la bibi!!!!!! jichumieni jamani muondoke, Nchi haina wenyewe hii

 

[Papa D]

government signs more
richmond-type contracts

two companies awarded new power generation deals under controversial
circumstances as the nation is gripped by yet another electricity crisis

thisday reporter
dar es salaam

the government has quietly signed two power generation contracts worth around 200 million us dollars (approx. 300bn/-) under circumstances that bare some of the hallmarks of the infamous richmond/dowans scandal, it has been revealed.

According well-placed government officials, the ministry of energy and minerals and the state-run tanzania electric supply company limited (tanesco) awarded the tenders during the general election period.

The two separate energy contracts involve the procurement of a 100-megawatt, gas-fired power plant at ubungo in dar es salaam, and the purchase of a 60mw power plant in nyakato, mwanza, which will run on heavy fuel oil.

Tanesco has already signed an agreement with a norwegian power turbine company, jacobsen elektro as, for the supply of a 105 mw gas-fired power plant in dar es salaam expected to become operational in 2012.

A danish company, semco maritime jv, was awarded the 60mw mwanza power project.
Officials with the ministry of energy and minerals were not immediately available to comment on circumstances behind the awarding of the contracts.

"just like the richmond scandal, senior government officials in the ministry of energy and minerals interfered with the tender process and forced tanesco to sign agreements with the two companies," said an official close to the government.

It is understood that the contracts were awarded contrary to guidelines set by the public procurement regulatory authority (ppra).

"tanesco had recommended that the contracts should be awarded to a direct manufacturer of power turbines after thorough evaluation to avoid middlemen like those behind the previous richmond company," said one official.

"however, senior officials in the ministry of energy and minerals meddled in the process and rejected tanesco's recommendations."

tenders for the contracts were advertised in july 2009, but were canceled following allegations of irregularities in the process.

"the tender process was resumed only for the same richmond/dowans scandal to be repeated all over again. The contracts were awarded to trading companies instead of direct manufacturers of power turbines," said another official close to tanesco.

She added: "some prominent individuals, including businessmen and former senior government officials were aggressively lobbying for these power generation contracts."

it has been alleged that the same people linked to the 2006 richmond scandal were the architects behind the two deals.

Under tender number pa/001/09/hq/w/016, tanesco invited bids for the "supply, installation, testing and commissioning" of the emergency,gas-based 100mw power generation plant in dar es salaam, on a turn-key basis.

A turn-key project is a type of project that is constructed by a developer and sold or turned over to a buyer (in this case, tanesco) in a ready-to-use condition.

On the other hand, tender number pa/001/09/hq/w/018 involves the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a 60mw power plant in nyakato, mwanza, that will use dual-heavy fuel oil for power generation. The proposed mwanza power plant is also a turn-key project.

According to our government sources, the bid winners for both projects were supposed to be picked on the basis of experience, technical capacity, fulfillment of tender requirements, and other such aspects.

"but the tender process was flouted and the contracts were awarded to these two companies contrary to the public procurement legislation and tanesco's expert recommendations," she said.

The latest revelations come as tanzania is gripped by yet another energy crisis, with tanesco being forced to introduce rolling power blackouts.

It has already been suggested that a giant $2 billion power generation project that could have potentially defined president jakaya kikwete's legacy is being held back by corruption, government bureaucracy and lack of political will.

Officials say the proposed 2,100 megawatt (mw) stiegler's gorge hydro-power station was being sabotaged by powerful businessmen and senior government officials who have been benefiting from corrupt emergency power generation contracts.

Tanzania's energy demand stands at 900mw, which means that the embattled stiegler's gorge project could have ended the nation's chronic electricity shortages and produced more than 1,000mw of excess power for export.

<source: Thisday, december 20-26, 2010, issue>

nakaribia kushauri jambo moja kwamba: Tuanzishe maandamano ya kushinikiza ccm ifutwe ama plan b kwamba: Tuingie msituni maana hawa jamaa wametuumiza vya kutosha!!

 

[Geza Ulole]

Mh Zitto usiuchune babuu, mwaga sera mkuu... au ngoma zito kama aliyejisemea kwenye US Cables....

 

[Joyum]

Pole ndugu yangu angalia usije ukazimia!! Unaweza kuishiwa pumzi eti!! na sisi wa-TZ ma-mbumbumbu ya mwisho yaani kati ya mbumbumbu sisi ndo tunavuta mkia! Huyu Mu-Asia sijui ataendelea kutunyonya mpaka lini jamani? Mkwere huyu naye mpumbavu sana yaani yupo tu nchi inaibiwa wandugu!!! Naungana na mwanaharakati mmoja humu JF alipendekeza tuanze kuwatoa mmoja mmoja hawa MAFISADI. Hivi hili haliwezekani? Hatuwezi hata tukapata wazalendo kama mia hivi wa kujitoa mhanga ili uchumi wetu usalimike jamani?

Ama kweli Tanzania ni shamba la bibi!!!!!! jichumieni jamani muondoke, Nchi haina wenyewe hii

Mi nafikiri mkuu sisi ndo tunaongoza genge la mambumbu. Ukiwa unashika mkia mana yake unakaribia kuwa kwenye werevu nafasi ya mwisho. OMG i dont believe this, yani serikali ilionywa ikapuuzia sasa tumeingia mkenge. Alafu umeme wa 100, 100 hivi unawezakutuweka katika heavy production industries ili uchumi ukue kweli!!! Hivi videal njaa vya viongozi waroho sijui vitaisha lini?!!!?

 

[lm317]

:angry::A S angry:I think I will stop reading papers and listening to the radio..... Hii ni mbaya sana kwa afya yangu

Hunizidi mimi!
Zinanichefua sana hizi habari jamani niokoeni!
Nimetapika Kande yote niliyokula mchana! Ooh

 

[Lisa Rina]

Rostam baba tuachie nchi yetu!tumekukosea nini?mwe!

 

[eliakeem]

Tukiingia msituni kwa takribani miaka 3 mfululizo, huku tukichinjana vya kutosha vya kutosha, nadhani heshma itarudi, maana huu ni upupu tu. Kila siku watu wale wale wanaifisidi, wanaitafuna, wanaikaba na kuibaka nchi. Mimi naona tu bora tuingie msituni kama akina Joseph Konyi.
Hiyo ndiyo dawa.