SBPs are key documents used in procurement that contain instructions and provisions to bidders and form the basis for expected offers or bids by providing the market with a clear idea of what is required by the procuring entity. Vice President and Finance minister, Ndaba Gaolathe, and the AfDB’s deputy director-general for the Southern Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office, Moono Mupotola, signed the grant agreement last week in Gaborone. The SBPs are for works, goods, and services aligned with the new Public Procurement Act and the Public Procurement Regulations.
The grant also covers training of stakeholders on the SBPs. “Section 56 of the Public Procurement Act mandates the authority to adopt, develop, and issue, as well as amend, where necessary, an SBP and contract to be used by procuring entities on a mandatory basis. “The technical assistance will go a long way in coming up with fit-for-purpose SBPs, and the realisation of the Act’s intended outcomes,” reads a statement released by the PPRA after the signing. The PPRA said SBPs enhance compliance and standardisation in procurement and will prevent wastage, lead to value for money procurement, and increase transparency and sustainability of the procurement process. “The authority has noted that procuring entities and contractors are experiencing challenges in carrying out procurement activities with the current SBPs.
