eBusiness Weekly
Tawanda Musarurwa
President Mnangagwa has said the time is up for cartels that abuse public procurement systems.
He said this while officiating at the launch of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) yesterday.
“The past culture of collusion between public officials and cartels or third parties in our procurement systems should be stopped.
“I am aware that some Government Departments have a tendency of grossly inflating prices of essential capital goods to the detriment of the ordinary people, who have been going without services,” he said.
“My Government will not tolerate such filthy, criminal and greedy tendencies.”
PRAZ came into existence in 2018 through the promulgation of Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act Chapter 22:23), replacing the inefficient State Procurement Board (SPB).
The restructuring of the public procurement process means that the awarding of tenders will now be done by accounting officers in various State departments and companies, with the PRAZ only playing a supervisory and monitoring role to ensure government entities comply with the new Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act.
The Act’s role is to “provide for the control and regulation of public procurement and the disposal of public assets so as to ensure that such procurement and disposal is effected in a manner that is transparent, fair, honest, cost- effective and competitive.”
President Mnangagwa added that Government will strengthen the capacity of PRAZ so that it “effectively” meets its mandate.
“It is disheartening that purchases had been characterised by inflation of prices and other malpractices like doubling costs for self-serving objectives.
“I am aware that some Government officials would inflate figures. That should stop. I challenge PRAZ to effectively carry out its mandate, play its mandate in a way that inspires confidence,” said President Mnangagwa.
“I am aware that PRAZ does not have teeth. We will give you the teeth. It will not be acceptable for there to be bottlenecks caused by PRAZ. PRAZ must always supervise entities below it.”
The launch of the PRAZ is part of broader initiatives by the Second Republic to fight corruption in all its various forms.
“You will recall that in my Inauguration Speech on August 24, 2018, I pronounced that under the Second Republic, no person or entity will be allowed to misappropriate or loot that which belongs to the people of Zimbabwe,” said President Mnangagwa.
“We must also consistently exercise high standards of good corporate governance towards a ‘corruption free society’.
“Similarly, the Principles Governing Public Administration outlined in Section 194 of the Constitution inter alia, requires that efficient and economical use of resources, be promoted in all tiers of Government, government-controlled entities and other public enterprises.”
