Posts

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 >

State capture update: August’s news and events

The Constitutional Court held a special sitting on Wednesday 21 August in honour of Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who retires at the end of August after serving 27 years on the bench. The event was attended by several dignitaries, including National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Thembi Simelane, and National 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 >