Audit on PPADB to be released October

GOTHATAONE MOENG
Staff Writer | Friday September 23, 2011 00:00

The audit sought to identify opportunities for corruption and loopholes within the procurement organisation. Speaking at a two-day workshop of Ministerial Tender Committees (MTC) on Monday, the executive chairperson of PPADB, Bridget John, said the audit was prompted by the board's concern over 'the view held by some that there is corruption in public procurement'.

'We are curious to know what the real situation is and the basis for corruption perceptions,' John said. She also disclosed that PPADB had acquired the support of the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) governance programme to fund a Corruption Perception Survey by independent experts.

'(The survey) will look into all stages of public procurement in central government to identify corruption or perceptions thereof, and recommend appropriate measures,' John said.

A tender for this would be floated by UNDP before the end of this month, John said. She pointed out that the board was working on strengthening public education to make central government tenders more accessible to the public because some of the corruption perceptions could be the result of lack of information.

John urged MTC members to familiarise themselves with other laws such as the Corruption and Economic Crime Act and the Competition Act, as they impact on their work.

The PPADB workshop was meant to rekindle the adjudication skills of MTCs and inform them on the integrated approach to the devolution process. It was attended by chairpersons of MTCs, their secretaries and other members.