Zim spearheads new era of public procurement integration in Southern Africa

<p>“Public procurement is not merely an administrative function of government. It is one of the most strategic instruments available to the State for advancing national development, stimulating economic transformation and delivering public value,” he said.</p>

<p>The Vice President noted that procurement systems must evolve beyond national boundaries to facilitate regional integration under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).</p>

<p>“As we advance regional integration, procurement systems must facilitate cross-border trade, support regional infrastructure development and attract investment. Our economies are increasingly interconnected, and our development challenges are increasingly shared. Our solutions must therefore become increasingly collaborative.</p>

<p>“The establishment of the Southern African Public Procurement Forum recognises that strong procurement systems do not belong to one nation alone. They are a shared regional asset and responsibility,” he said.</p>

<p>The forum is expected to promote harmonisation of procurement laws, strengthen professional standards and enhance transparency through the adoption of modern technologies.</p>

<p>Vice President Chiwenga urged member states to commit to harmonising procurement legislation, recognising professional qualifications across borders, developing shared electronic procurement standards and strengthening peer-review mechanisms to combat procurement-related fraud.</p>

<p>“Member states should commit to harmonising procurement laws to facilitate cross-border infrastructure development and trade, recognise professional certifications, develop interoperable electronic government procurement systems and strengthen collaboration with development partners, academia and the private sector to promote innovation and procurement excellence,” he said.</p>

<p>Zimbabwe has already implemented several procurement reforms aimed at improving efficiency and accountability.</p>

<p>Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Clever Ruswa, said the country’s electronic government procurement system, launched in October 2023, continues to record positive results.</p>

<p>“Our electronic government procurement platform was launched in October 2023 and piloted in January 2024 across 372 procuring entities. We are already seeing improvements and will continue expanding the system in line with National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).</p>

<p>“We are also developing an online repository for procurement legislation, regulations, circulars, guidelines, publications and review panel decisions to improve access to procurement information,” he said.</p>

<p>International partners have described the establishment of the Southern Africa Public Procurement Forum as a significant milestone that supports the broader objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Zimbabwe continues to invest in strengthening procurement systems, including the construction of a new PRAZ headquarters in Harare.</p>

<p>Vice President Chiwenga toured the facility to assess progress on the project.</p>

<p>Zimbabwe has also adopted the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS), a framework aligned with NDS2 and aimed at expanding e-procurement integration to improve transparency and combat corruption.</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/zim-spearheads-new-era-of-public-procurement-integration-in-southern-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zim spearheads new era of public procurement integration in Southern Africa</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ZBC NEWS</a>.</p>

Guardian Sport · Jun 24

Guardian Sport · Jun 24

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