Mejn lobbies for open public contracting

Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) has lobbied for the introduction of open contracting in procurement processes to avert corruption in the public sector procurement system.

Speaking during a high-level Open Contracting Multi-Stakeholder Group in Lilongwe yesterday, Mejn acting executive director June Kambalametore said the establishment of the group can check abuse in the procurement process.

She also said that the establishment of the group would enhance national development as resources would be utilised for the intended purpose.

Said Kambalametore: “While 40 percent of the national budget is lost through corruption, 80 percent of the same budget is spent through procurement. Apparently, most of the funds lost are lost through procurement where transparency is not as common.

“We noticed this during the Cashgate that most of the money that was plundered was due to under-procurement. OC-MSG will ensure that money is spent where it is supposed to be spent and that development is really taking place.”

While Mejn is advocating for the formation of the group, government on the other hand believes that there are already adequate processes in public procurement to facilitate transparency and accountability only that the public takes less interest in following up the public procurement process.

Peter Makanga, chief professional development officer at the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA)—formerly Office of the Director of Public Procurement, said the law is clear on how the public can be engaged and access information in all the stages of public procurement.

He said: “As citizens, we don’t take sufficient interest in monitoring these procurement contract implementation issues. The law is very clear and provides for areas where we can access information, say, when a public procurement and disposing agency prepares its budget it is supposed to come up with procurement plan which is supposed to be made public and you can seek that information from the entities.”

Makanga added that the same law allows that public procurement proceedings be in open tender, implying that there should be advertisement. Besides, he said, the law provides that tenders be opened in the presence of bidders.

The processes to come up with the OC-MSG is being financed by Hivos and, according to the organisation’s country representative in Malawi, Baldwin Chiyamwaka, the multi stakeholder group is expected to act as a watchdog in the issues of public procurement processes.

He said: “When they submit these issues they should be able to get feedback from these government agencies. The body will facilitate constructive engagement between CSOs and government.”