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Public procurement needs a lot of reform, says thorough new report

It is common cause that South Africa’s public procurement framework is long overdue for reform. There are several issues that have vexed procurement practitioners in recent years, such as fragmentation of the various laws, the strain put on the preferential procurement regime, and the urgent need for professionalisation of the sector. These issues, and more, Read more >

2024 Procurement Watch report unpacks current procurement risk trends

Corruption Watch (CW), partnering again with procurement law expert Prof Geo Quinot of Stellenbosch University, today released the 2024 Procurement Watch Report on Procurement Risk Trends. This is the fourth in CW’s series on procurement risk trends, and presents an analysis of selected forms of procurement data between 2016 and 2024. Previous reports were published in Read more >

SIU shuts down another dubious PPE contract

Another victory for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), handed down by its Special Tribunal. It involves a R257-million contract for personal protective equipment (PPE) entered into by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) and a company called Nkhane Projects and Supply during the Covid-19 pandemic that rocked the country four years ago. The tribunal has Read more >

Tshwane introduces new e-commerce portal, aims to reduce corruption

Public procurement is one of the most corruption-prone activities that governments undertake. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime cites several reasons for this situation, including the volume of transactions, the multitude of stakeholders, and the close interaction between public officials and businesses. Corruption Watch (CW) has built up an extensive body of work around Read more >

What procurement data can tell us about procrastination

By Kirsten Pearson One unique feature of public finance is the concept of lapsing funds. Any unspent government funds at the end of a financial year must be returned to the treasury. This makes perfect sense. If government is borrowing money to fund its programmes, why leave funds idle while paying interest on loans? But Read more >

Private healthcare sector corruption to be investigated

Re-appointed health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has revealed, in an interview with Business Report, that private sector corruption in healthcare is about to come under investigation. Investigations will focus on medical aid fraud, inflated prices for procedures and supplies, and the growing problem of fraudulent medico-legal or malpractice claims against the state – all of Read more >