The Board Chairperson of the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN), Mary Shiimi, has expressed disappointment over the performance of certain contractors, citing persistent issues such as poor quality of work, budget overruns and delays in project execution.

Speaking during an engagement with contractors, Shiimi emphasised the urgent need to enhance service delivery.

The board chairperson highlighted the neglect of labourers, with a particular focus on security guards who are often not paid according to the mandated wage orders.

Shiimi further pointed out that meals and services provided, especially in critical areas such as school and hospital feeding programmes, frequently fall short of the required specifications and standards. 

"The list goes on, and I have to say this is unacceptable. I'm not pointing a finger. These are some of the realities that prompted the board to initiate this engagement, not to place blame but to seek solutions and institute improvement. We need to look at the whole value chain, not only those on the ground providing services, we need to find where we can improve to ensure that the government is successful and value is created wherever public funds are dispersed."

The CPBN has reported active contracts, currently amounting to N$7.5 billion, spanning from the board's inception in 2017 up to 30 June 2025.

Of this, N$1.3 billion is across 36 contracts for goods, N$1.9 billion across 83 contracts for services and N$4.4billion across 63 contracts for works. 

Shiimi stressed that contracts must be awarded and executed fairly and transparently to maintain trust and promote economic growth. 

The engagement with contractors served as a platform to address challenges and enhance collaboration for better public procurement service delivery.