Batswana have no confidence in the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB), the institution’s PPADB authorities revealed at the launch of its 2013-2018 Strategic Plan at Cresta Lodge in Gaborone this week.
Giving the welcome remarks, PPADB Non-Executive Director Services, Nelson Mokhethi, said there is public perception that PPADB is corrupt.
“Such messages we receive from various sectors of the society must be dealt with going forward.”
His sentiments were echoed by the Executive Chairperson, Bridget John, who attributed the ailing public goodwill and lack of confidence to low awareness by the society and stakeholders.
“In Botswana, tenders are synonymous with corruption, we need to move away from this perception and keep tenders clean. Corruption perceptions in public procurement system are a cause for concern,” said John. Officials said public satisfaction fared badly in the first index conducted scoring 47 percent; the second public confidence index for customer satisfaction would later slightly to stand at around 61 percent.
Concerned about the status-quo, the PPADB board in their strategic plan, article 4.2.1, coined strategies to elevate stakeholder satisfaction. Amongst other measures that speak directly to poor public confidence is the “Devolution to transform to a procurement regulatory authority, shedding off the adjudication and award role to Procuring Entities”.
In the strategic booklet, the board says, “PPADB will also address stakeholder’s expectations through improved public confidence in the procurement and asset management system in Botswana by creating an environment of zero tolerance for corruption; improved quality of service procurement and asset management.”
Another strategy concerns value for money in procurement and asset disposal transformations through competition.
The overall intent of the strategy is to see the organization gradually transforming into a regulatory authority by 2018.
