Despite growing calls for the private sector to take a leading role in driving development, the rise in unsolicited proposals is exposing gaps in the procurement framework. Officials say that whilst the Public Procurement Act of 2021, administered by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), promotes competition and transparency, it does not clearly define a structured process for assessing unsolicited bids.
During the Procurement Pitso this week, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure permanent secretary, Pius Seone, said government continues to experience a year-on-year increase in the number of unsolicited bids, with most of them being difficult to assess due to the stated preference for competitive and transparent bidding in the PPRA Act of 2021.
