MK Veterans and Enterprise Commerce Systems (ECS) have been awarded multimillion-rand contract for document imaging to clamp down on corruption in Social Services delivery.
The Department of Social Services in the Western Cape is the forerunner to implement the computerised registry system that will benefit social grant beneficiaries. A manual filing system is presently used by the district offices, head office and institutions of the department for the filing and storing of records.
Fernando Acafrao, CEO of ECS, said this tender has proved that the decision for transformation in the company was correct. This will also show that smaller companies can have confidence in the tender process and they have an equal if not better chance to win large contracts where previously only the larger groups had a chance.
The Minister of Social Services and Poverty Alleviation in the Western Cape, Marius Fransman, announced the award of a tender to ACA Computer Services (PTY) Ltd, trading as Enterprise Commerce Systems (ECS) for the supply and installation of an electronic registry system. The installation of the system at the registries of the head offices, district offices and institutions of the department symbolises the department`s commitment to improve service delivery.
ECS sales executive, Bruce Krog, said this is the first tender the company has been awarded from a government department, although it has big contracts with other large organisations. "This one will establish ECS as an empowerment company of choice in the Western Cape. There will be job creation opportunities within the local communities at each district office. One of the criteria within our own organisation is to adopt a charity for every sizable project that we implement."
One of the advantages of the system, among others, is that it will be a control measure to minimise fraud and potential corruption. The social grant beneficiaries will no longer have to spend a lot of time going through files, only to be told that the files are missing. The delays in the processing of applications will be expedited. This is all because of the information being electronically available. The project will commence with the piloting of the Vredendal District Office.
Patrick King, Executive Director, said this is a great achievement for a BEE company to have secured a multimillion-rand tender with the Department of Social Services. This offers the company and especially its BEE partners another opportunity to further redefine the meaning of true or real empowerment. "The government has expressed full confidence in our technological capabilities, integrity and quality of services of ECS. Our board of directors and operational staff will rise to the challenge to deliver."
Oliver Chifadza, MD of the Cape Town office, said ECS is well positioned to provide a total end-to-end solution in information management from EDMS to knowledge management. "Institutional amnesia will become a thing of the past for the social services department utilising the proposed solution."
Minister Fransman said: "ECS has been awarded this tender on the basis of proving to us that not only are they best placed to do the job, but that they have also given a historic opportunity to their partners, MKMVA, to join the new fight against fraud and corruption. I have every confidence that this partnership will assist us with quality service delivery. I want to warn all the fraudsters and conmen out there - you have no place to hide, we are going to get you! The award of this tender once again underlines the commitment of the ANC-NNP government to ensure that the procurement delivers to those who have never previously benefited from government contracts."
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