Builders applaud new procurement system

THE Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association (ZBCA) has said the new electronic government procurement (eGP) System is a major step in improving transparency in State procurement processes.

The eGP system is a secure web-based application managed by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz).

It enables all public entities and bidders to conduct procurement activities electronically, thus enhancing competition, transparency, efficiency and integrity in public procurement in Zimbabwe.

The eGP system also facilitates faster decision-making by Praz and reduces costs related to procurement processes.

“In terms of awarding contracts, I think now it is very clear and stable to note that everything under the government pathway is now going through Praz dictates,” ZBCA president Tinashe Manzungu told NewsDay Business in an interview.

“So, the client who owns the project is now on boarding tender applications through the eGP platform, an online platform that Praz recently launched. This then enables fairness, credibility, quality and also honesty in terms of dealing with the selection or adjudication of the one to win the bid.”

He noted that the system allowed contractors the opportunity to object to the tender within two weeks before signing for any issues that would arise during the process.

In March, Praz noted that 357 State entities and 8 770 suppliers were enrolled in the system.

Government’s procurement processes have been an avenue for financial loss due to widespread corruption, inefficiency and lack of transparency.

Government contracts are often awarded through nepotism and bribery rather than competitive bidding, leading to inflated prices and substandard work.

Additionally, the lack of strict oversight and accountability has opened the floodgates for misappropriation, with officials embezzling money meant for public projects.

Millions of United States dollars of public funds continue to be lost, as recorded annually by the Office of the Auditor-General.

“This has been happening since, I think, the past two months. Since the eGP platform started working, we have seen things happening properly,” Manzungu said.

“When people are awarded tenders, they are also allowed to object 14 days before the tender can be signed. We applaud the government for coming up with that very noble cause in terms of tender awards.”

He noted that despite some payment delays, 75% to 80% of tenders awarded by the government this year were running.

“Then coming up to the issue to do with payments, payments are always a scarce source everywhere in the world. The biggest characteristic of money is that money should be very scarce,” Manzungu said.

“So, in Zimbabwe, now we have money and we cannot point to the issue of it being scarce when it comes to contracts. It is scarce in the market; it is its characteristic.

“In terms of contracts that are performing, we can say we have 75% to 80% of contracts that have been awarded performing. We are quite happy with that.”-newsday