Spurred into commenting on repeated tender delays, the SA Revenue Service (SARS) has denied that the finalisation of tenders, with a combined value of almost R4 billion, has ground to a halt.
SARS spokesperson Adrian Lackay says unnamed sources quoted yesterday on ITWeb are incorrect in linking the introduction of acting CIO Barry Hore to the stagnation of tender processes.
However, the official correspondence from SARS does not deny that Hore and ex-CIO Ken Jarvis' strategies differ significantly, which suggests some form of overhaul could be on the cards.
The awarding of at least three large tenders was reportedly imminent at the time of Jarvis' departure, but has subsequently been pushed back. Market speculation is rife that Hore's approach is more cautious than that of his predecessor.
"The various tenders SARS is currently evaluating involve huge sums of public money and high degrees of complexity - SARS has a responsibility to ensure all provisions of legislation governing these processes are properly applied," states Lackay.
"SARS requests that all interested parties - whether directly involved or keen observers - be patient. We will conclude these governance processes in the next few weeks."
SARS has continually delayed the naming of winners of its customs scanner tender, the voice and data networks replacement tender, and the modernisation of tax and customs business, products and systems tender.
The organisation did not address rumours that the modernisation tender, valued at about R750 million, may be scrapped all together, as SARS is supposedly re-evaluating its approach to modernisation. It was reported that this tender attracted interest from about 70 foreign companies at the time of its announcement in December.
Related story:
SARS tender process grinds to a halt
Share