Existing and prospective service providers were recently informed on, among others, CPUT’s procurement process at an information session – the first of its kind for the university.
“The aim of the information session was to ensure our suppliers are able to compete for the opportunities available within the institution,” says Raisibe Chaka, Director: Procurement, adding, “We educated them on the end-to-end procurement cycle, how to register on the CPUT vendor list and outlined the legislative framework and regulatory requirements related to procurement.”
By hosting such sessions Raisibe and her team hope to minimise the institutional and reputational risks associated with suppliers’ non-compliance with regulatory requirements and to empower local and emerging suppliers to successfully exploit business opportunities available at the university.
Stakeholders from outside the university were on hand to explain the mandatory regulatory framework associated with procurement. These requirements include compliance with the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Disease Act (COIDA), Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), SARS and Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment, among others.
“Turn-out for the information session was good and from the questions put to the speakers, it seems as if the audience was engaged and stimulated by the topics we covered. We hope to make sessions like these an annual event going forward,” explains Raisibe.
