THE Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) has suspended two companies from participating in public procurement for one year after they received advance payments to supply equipment to schools but failed to fulfil their contractual obligations. The two companies, Biogenix Limited and Leisely Howards Limited, were contracted by the Ministry of Education to supply laboratory and home economics equipment to schools under the World Bank-funded Zambia Education Enhancement Project (ZEEP). According to ZPPA, Biogenix Limited received an advance payment of K239,494 to supply laboratory equipment and reagents to 82 secondary schools but failed to deliver the goods within the agreed period. Leisely Howards Limited, which was awarded a contract worth K8.6 million to supply home economics equipment, received an advance payment...