Maputo — The Mozambican Ministry of Economy and Finance has suspended a 25 million meticais (391,000 US dollars, at the current exchange rate) contract awarded to the company Top Rent-a-Car for the supply of livestock (an unspecified number of goats, pigs, sheep and ducks) to the delegation of the National Social Welfare Institute, in Chicualacuala district, Gaza province, due to gross irregularities in the tendering process.

According to the National Director of State Assets, Albertina Furquia, the company's license showed that it works with vehicle rental, plants and fertilizers which have nothing to do with the subject of the contract.

"We immediately suspended the contract. A supervisory team has already been set up and has gone to the field to assess, in person, the procedures used', she said.

Furquia explained that the contracting authority should have defined the specifications of the objects it intendeds to acquire, and this should also have defined the qualifications required for eligible bidders.

She added that the verification work on the ground will take place over a period of seven days, guaranteeing that by next week the Ministry of Economy and Finance will, in principle, have the report of what actually happened in this case.

Albertina Furquia guaranteed that other administrative measures will be taken against the officials involved in this case.

The Top Rent-a-Car company's registration documents state that it specializes in the rental of motor vehicles, means of land transport, as well as other personal and household goods. These documents say nothing about the sale of animals.

According to Wednesday's issue of the independent newssheet "Carta de Mocambique', the licence allowing Top Rent-a-Car to operate was issued by the government of Chokwe district on 16 October this year - the same month that the Chicualacuala branch of INAS awarded the controversial contract to Top Rent-a-Car