Speaking at the official launch on Tuesday, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Noah Salakae, said the project to establish the traffic centre dates back to 2017. “The project commenced in November 2017 and has a contract duration of 123 months and is due to end in February 2028. Twenty-two months were spent on the design of the systems and facilities, 53 months were spent on construction and installations, and 48 months were allocated for allocation and maintenance,” the minister said.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a ‘siren’ on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a ‘red flag’. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be…
