Plan to wean off private sector speeds up
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
At a three-day workshop, which started in Phakalane yesterday, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dorcas Makgato-Malesu, said Government's objective is to see the private sector operating more independently so as to compete openly in both domestic and global markets.
"This workshop is long overdue," she said. "Diversification has been the longstanding agenda of our country for a long time dating back as far as NDP5.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...