PROCUREMENT: Procurement officers discuss challenges in tendering processes

The public procurement reforms are based on four pillars of which some of them (reforms) have been achieved while others are in the process In line with the government policy of strengthening public financial systems, 200 procurement officers have convened at La Palissi, Nyandungu to discuss challenges in tendering processes. The two days meeting which started yesterday attracted participants from government institutions, districts and donor agencies. They are to discuss challenges in public procurement reform in Rwanda, integrity and transparency in public procurement and the integration of public procurement in good management of public finance. According to Augustus Seminega, Director General of Rwanda Public Procurement Authority (RPPA), being the first national procurement officers’ meeting, it is an open dialogue to discuss challenges and achievements. The public procurement reforms are based on four pillars of which according to Seminega, some of them (reforms) have been achieved while others are in the process. Those achieved include legal and regulatory framework, and strenthening the capacity of central institutions. In the regulatory framework, issuance of public procure code was enacted last year while the law establishing Public Procurement Authority was enacted this year. In this regard, RPPA was established to transform National Tender Board (NTB) into a regulatory authority focusing on policy formulation, monitoring and overseeing. However, Seminega said that RPPA is considering to identify an institution which would conduct an ongoing training for procurement officers. He added that issuing the code of conduct for procurement staff to improve their integrity, is expected operational by March next year. Meanwhile, campaigns are also underway to create awareness about the tendering process and how procurement officers can collaborate with managers of procuring entities. Rwanda was recently hailed by World Bank over strong public financial management systems thus implementing the Paris Declaration, committing to carryout specific actions to improve on foreign aid effectiveness. Ends

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PROCUREMENT: Procurement officers discuss challenges in tendering processes