When procurement legalities impede development

One afternoon in October 2009, while in the Southern Province city of Huye, I received a telephone call from Dr Jean Baptiste Nduwayezu, the Director General of the Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (IRST). He was confirming an earlier interview request about an ambitious biodiesel project by the Institute.He picked me up in his SUV for our scheduled interview. It was on the way to his office that I experienced the ugly side of ‘hitching a ride’; it takes away your freedom! I like lowering my car window whenever I’m driving but it came as a rude shock when the man in the driver’s seat reprimanded me for attempting to lower it.Explaining the reasons for keeping his car windows closed, Dr Nduwayezu pointed out that the environment was heavily polluted as a result of harmful gasses like carbon-monoxide from burnt car fuel. He said that it is because of these gasses that ‘people are so forgetful now days.’ He was so conversant and passionate about the subject. I fell for it. It is from here that the interview on environment conservation and the viability of the biodiesel project actually began. I was made to understand that the biodiesel project took off with resounding success. A biodiesel powered generator roared to life in 2007. The first biodiesel powered bus hit the road in 2009. And this was not all. After conducting test drives, the biodiesel powered car consumed almost the same amount of fuel as a diesel powered car; 10.7 litres of biodiesel per 100km compared to 10.4 litres of diesel for the same distance to be precise. Most importantly, carbon monoxide emission was reduced by 48 per cent which was in conformity with other research findings around the world.The stage was set to start massive production of biodiesel. A joint public–private biodiesel company in which IRST was to have majority shares was planned. The country would replace 20 per cent of ordinary diesel imports with locally produced biodiesel by 2015 increasing to 50 per cent in 2020. Rwanda was to become a centre of excellence in biodiesel production.But all these grand plans seem to be in shreds, at least at the moment. This paper, on June 25, reported that the biodiesel project had stalled due to procurement legalities. For one year, the biodiesel plant has not produced a drop of biodiesel because IRST could not procure vital chemical reagents used in the production process.And it is not that they lack capacity or funds to produce but because of stringent procurement procedures. We are told that the IRST director general had written a letter to the President seeking for his intervention.The way this key project has been handled leaves a sour taste to say the least. How can such a grand national project be held up because of a ‘procurement requirement’ for over a year? The response from Augustus Seminega, the Rwanda Public Procurement Authority head testifies to the laxity with which this project has been held, especially during its production phase.The law that could allow IRST to procure the much needed reagents was amended and approved about three months ago but it is clear that this was never communicated to the authorities at IRST.“So I can give them authorisation if they are still interested,” Seminega is quoted as saying.As if this was not bad enough, it has also been revealed that a sustainable bio-diesel policy, developed by the Institute in 2008, is gathering dust in the shelves at the Ministry of Education.Rwanda’s fuel needs are glaring. The country has no oil fields. Efforts to pursue alternative sources of fuel should be treated as a matter of national interest, just like security.There is need for the different government bodies to work as a unit with a shared vision of moving the country forward.According to research conducted by the institute, Rwanda could replace all fossil diesel imports by 2025.What a milestone this would be, not forgetting the direct impact this would have on thousands of local farmers growing Moringa and Jatropha, key crops used in the biodiesel production.The biodiesel project needs to be supported not stifled.

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When procurement legalities impede development