Dr Kabano Ignace Team Leader and Strategic Advisor (CIDRA)
Workers who served a dual consulting firm ICOS-CIDRA Joint Ventures have expressed concern over a long overdue payment for their consultancy services on Stunting Prevention and Reduction (Spar).
The workers who claim to be over 100 are asking payment of Rwf 150 million arrears.
A couple of months ago, the Centre for Integrated Development Research and Action (CIDRA), a local research and statistical data consulting firm merged with ICOS Consulting PLC, another management consulting firm headquartered in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), the two forming ICOS-CIDRA Joint Ventures.
The main intention was to successfully bid for the tender on Stunting Prevention and Reduction (SPAR) Project under its first programme pillar.
The pillar aimed to improve delivery of high-impact nutrition and health interventions and support early childhood development through a community-based approach and intensive behavioral change communication to raise awareness of the early signs.
They won the tender which was commissioned by Rwanda Biomedical center (RBC).
According to a copy of consultancy that was seen by our sister website kigalitoday.com about the agreement signed between ICOS-CIDRA Joint Ventures and consultancy , the research was supposed to cover 45 days, starting from April 20, 2022.
Consultants hired by ICOS-CIDRA Joint Ventures said they have always been told that RBC had not affected payment, only to discover it was done almost a month ago.
However, ICOS-CIDRA Joint Ventures said the payment was made only some ten days ago now.
At first, Dr Kabano Ignace the Team Leader and Strategic Advisor at CIDRA speaking to our sister website, denied having entered any agreement with any consultant.
He said they were contracted by ICOS Consulting PLC. He also said that claims from the same consultants is “baseless”.
Dr. Kabano later on confirmed that their consultants had received the first installment of fifty million Rwandan francs (Rwf 50,000,000), and that they owe the consultants over one hundred fifty million Rwandan francs (Rwf 150,000,000).
According to this official, the payment “was delayed by the fact that some of the consultants have not yet submitted their bank account details.”
“What these consultants are saying is not true; we have not refused to pay them. It is because RBC delayed to effect payment. Even when they did, we asked them (consultants) to present bank details, some provided them and others did not,” said Kabano.
Out of the 20 groups of all consultants, according to Kabano, about 12 groups presented their bank accounts and handed over company materials they used during research. The remaining eight have not fulfilled what is required, hence “can’t be paid in a disorderly manner”.
Asked when those who presented what is required shall be paid, Dr. Kabano did not want to make any comment.
Consultants under ICOS-CIDRA Joint ventures claim that what has delayed payment is that management wants to invest the money into other consultancies they were awarded. However, this accusation has not yet been verified.
