BY SETHABILE MYENI
MBABANE – The Eswatini Competition Commission (ESCC) has ordered schools to allow parents to buy school uniforms from suppliers/tailors of their choice.
This should be considered this January.
Making this order was Senior Analyst at Eswatini Competition Commission, Louis Marx this morning during Letishisako program on EBIS.
Marx said schools have developed a tendency of choosing a specific supplier or tailor to supply parents with school uniforms each year. This has, however, left most parents obligated to buy from that preferred supplier, even though the supplier is charging higher prices.
Marx said this tendency has deprived many parents their rights to choose a preferred tailor who might be cheaper.
Furthermore, such tendency has deprived other capable entrepreneurs the right to supply parents willing to buy from them uniforms.
“We plead with schools and those selling school uniforms to be mindful that the ESCC is mandated to ensure that every designer gets the chance to supply any parent or school with uniforms. In fact, schools do not have the right to force parents to buy uniform from specific suppliers. Instead, parents should be allowed to choose according to their financial statuses or preference,” he said.
He explained that ESCC has learnt that some schools have entered to agreements with some suppliers to be the main suppliers of school uniform.
He said even though such agreements are not illegal, but they are expected to meet ESCC Regulations.
“We, therefore, ask schools and suppliers to adhere to the Competitive Procurement Standards, which requires them to have a variety of suppliers not one so that parents can choose one they want and parents are still allowed to choose one outside the ones suggested by the school,” said Marx.
Marx further disclosed that they have seen cases where the uniforms cost more than the school fees.
