The second section of the report from the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption, and Fraud in the Public Sector was delivered to the South African Presidency in February 2022. The Commission is a public investigation that was set up by former president Jacob Zuma in January 2018 to look into claims of corruption, state capture, and fraud in the South African public sector that led to shady or dishonest activities in the country’s procurement intelligence. The report’s delivery was described by President Ramaphosa as an important milestone in the fight against corruption in South Africa and the implementation of measures to safeguard public resources.
The Commission provided a comprehensive analysis of the destabilization and political exploitation of public and state-owned businesses. According to him, the creation of a single, multi-functional, independent, and anti-corruption institution with the capacity to address the abuses built into the current system is the ideal place to start for any reform plan.
How to proceed with the reformed steps?
Crown Agents will offer a public webinar to explore the suggestions put out in South African procurement, using the expertise of helping nations around the world modernize their public procurement systems. For more than 185 years, South Africa has collaborated with governments, organizations, and development agencies from all over the world to improve their procurement processes and provide the groundwork for providing services at a reasonable cost. They have developed the ability to successfully address the many obstacles and problems that arise during the process as a result of their expertise in assisting customers in more than 20 countries to execute changes.
Why the need to modernize procurement systems
The yearly public procurement cost is estimated to be between $11 and 13 trillion according to reports from organizations like the World Bank, and it frequently represents one of the greatest sectors of government spending. Proper and accountable use of funds, whether they are used for operational or capital costs, health and educational services, or high-impact infrastructure projects, depends on a robust procurement intelligence based on good ethical standards.
The focus of the webinar will be on the ways in which Crown Agents have helped organizations, governments, and businesses reduce the risk of waste, fraud, and corruption in their procurement processes. The regulatory framework for establishing such an oversight organization, the recommended purview and mandate of oversight bodies and procurement regulators, and the difficulties in observing compliance and performance are some of the subjects to be explored.
South Africa’s public procurement experience
Most people have worked with countries throughout the globe to improve public procurement systems’ value for money, openness, and accountability. South Africa procurement has reached out to countries including Botswana, Angola, Eswatini, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. They have gained a lot of information about how to assist governments and organizations in putting into practise workable solutions to supply chain and procurement problems, boosting productivity, and guaranteeing value for money in public procurement as a result of their experience.