Business Reporter
Public Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) must act as a catalyst for sustainable socio-economic growth, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
Speaking at a PRAZ Conference in Harare yesterday, President Mnangagwa implored the regulatory authority to ensure a common understanding with regards to enhancing the participation of previously marginalised groups in sustainable economic development.
“In this regard, I exhort the Procurement Regulatory Authority to ensure a common understanding with regards enhancing the participation of previously marginalised groups in sustainable economic development. Hence, Public Procurement must never be a stumbling block in our relentless pursuit of Vision 2030. Rather, it must act as a catalyst for sustainable socio-economic development,” he said.
President Mnangagwa bemoaned the high rate of non-compliance and wanton pricing which have brought about untold commotion in the procurement sector. He also said Government was concerned by the continuous number of connivance and use of the procurement system as a conduit to siphon public resources for personal gain and enrichment of cliques.
“Government is alarmed by incidences of non-compliance and wanton pricing which have brought untold commotion in the procurement sector. Regrettably, my office continues to be inundated with negative reports on incidences of corruption, malpractices, opportunism, connivance and use of the procurement system as a conduit to siphon public resources for personal gain and enrichment of cliques,” said the President.
The call by President Mnangagwa comes after the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development uncovered pricing abnormalities to Government by various service providers. Recently, Government cancelled an unwarranted payment of US$1 602 755 of over-priced Laptops by Blinart Investments. This payment was for 173 Laptops destined for Parliament of Zimbabwe.
In May 2022, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s, Financial Intelligence Unit charged 256 companies for illegally dealing in foreign currency. In a presentation before Senate, Finance and Economic Development Deputy Minister, Clemence Chiduwa said some individuals and firms were deviating from legitimate economic activities whose effect was to create phantom money through illegal activities.
It is due to this that Government has accelerated the establishment of the Public and Disposal of Public Assets (Compliance, Monitoring and Evaluation). These regulations will introduce administrative penalties against those Public Entities and individuals that are committing administrative misdemeanours with respect to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act.
