20 Apr 2021

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has embarked on a public procurement review exercise.

The review proposes to merge the Procurement Public Procurement and Asset Disposal (PPAD) Act and Local Authorities Procurement And Asset Disposal (LAPAD) to improve service delivery.

Addressing a virtual Kgalagadi District Council special full council on Monday, PPADB board secretary, Ms Patience Motswagole, said review of the two pieces of legislation was a response to the public outcry on inefficiencies in public procurement.

She said the key objectives were to empower citizens through procurement, promote job creation, reduce high import bill, achieve value for money, curb corruption and unethical conducts.

Furthermore, Ms Motswagole said the proposed bill sought to iron out procurement processes, which affected project implementation since there were some delays, which ended up affecting service delivery.

She said there was also over-pricing and cost over runs because companies escalated prices, hence the need to reform procurement processes.

She noted that the proposed single law was intended to enhance value for money for government and ensure that there was transparency and accountability, which would leave no room for corruption as well as empower citizens to grow the economy.

She highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic had increased government spending, hence the need to ensure that resources channeled to procurement were appropriately used. Ms Motswagole said government was the biggest spender, therefore it was pertinent to ensure that it received value for money.

For his part, an official from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Mr Peter Sebolao said the PPADB mandate was to adjudicate and award tenders for procurement of public works, supplies services and disposal of assets.

He said PPADB could not be a player and a referee at the same time, hence the need for streamlining of procurement processes to be handled by skilled personnel.

He said all central government entities, whether located abroad or in Botswana, were regulated by the PPADB Act, while local authorities, parastatals and land boards were run by the LAPAD Act, which was why the proposed bill would propose that all entities that receive funds from government should work under one public procurement law to improve efficiencies.

Mr Sebolao noted that some of the challenges encountered were that bidders ran back and forth between the PPADB Act and the LAPAD Act, which created inefficiencies in the complaints resolution processes.

Furthermore, he noted that the proposed law intended to improve accountability and public confidence in the procurement system.

For his part, Kgalagadi District Council chairperson, Mr Hendrick Jacobs, appreciated the ministry for undertaking the review.

He said the review came at an opportune time since there was an outcry that projects were unnecessarily delayed due to inefficiencies in procurement processes.

Mr Jacobs said it was thus critical for key stakeholders to have input in the procurement reforms. 

He called on councillors to link the public procurement reforms to the LAPAD Act of 2008, the MLGRD strategy and transformation plan of 2021 -2025 as well as the decentralisation policy.

 

The review, he said would enhance local economic development and procurement process as there would be more transparency to limit corruption and create equal opportunities for all.  ENDS