Kampala — APAC district officials have been warned against awarding contracts to companies that do shoddy work.

Addressing participants at a public dialogue on procurement and appeal process in Uganda, the resident district commissioner (RDC), James Jurua, said contracts were awarded but never honoured.

The dialogue was organised by the Apac Link Forum under the district development actors' forum to address irregularities in awarding tenders.

"The district is facing legal battles due to terminated contracts. Why should you award a contract to a fake company that won't deliver?" he asked.

The district engineer, Martin Olwa, described the procurement process as a dynamic and complex process.

He advised the contracts committee to avoid conflicts of interest, adding that the chief administrative officers and the finance officers were not supposed to be members of the contracts committee.

Olwa said the procurement process had to be transparent and free from influence peddling and coercion.

"Those who fail to get tenders should not complain but appeal to the contracts committee for redress," he advised.

Sam Jamara, the coordinator of the link forum, said the forum was a watchdog of society.

The district head of internal audit, Sam Johnny Eyul, said despite inconsistencies, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets had rated the district as the 3rd best in the country for its transparent procurement processes.