Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo Zimpapers Business Hub
The Public Policy and Research Institute of Zimbabwe (PPRIZ) is hosting a policy dialogue conference in Bulawayo meant to provide a platform to discuss how local authority procurement processes can be improved to ensure more efficient use of public resources for service delivery.
The conference, which runs under the theme “Towards Strengthening Local Government Procurement Processes for Improved Service Delivery and Socioeconomic Development”, includes the dissemination of findings from a seminal research study by PPRIZ on the implications of procurement challenges in local authorities on the efficient use of public resources for service delivery.
The conference is being held as part of PPRIZ’s Strengthening Policy Engagement through Evidence (SPEED) Project, whose goal is to promote evidence-based policy-making and enhance the responsiveness of policy processes to the needs of underrepresented groups in Zimbabwe.
The project seeks to foster more inclusive public policy engagement, policy uptake, and responsiveness, and to support stakeholders—including academia, civil society, and citizens—to participate more effectively in public policy processes.
Officially opening the conference, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube, who was represented by chief accountant Mr Stephen Ndagurwa, said the event is important as it seeks to find solutions to some of the procurement challenges faced in local authorities, to ensure that the provision of services within local authorities adequately meets the needs of citizens.
“This is crucial because local authorities are the tier of Government closest to the people and interact with the people on a day-to-day basis. Crucial services such as water, refuse collection, and sewage management are primarily handled by local authorities,” said Minister Ncube.
“Local authorities also make significant contributions to access to healthcare, education, and road maintenance.
“It is in recognition of the importance of local authorities in service delivery and in advancing socioeconomic development that His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has put emphasis on improving the performance of local authorities in the country.”
She said that without strong procurement processes that ensure efficient use of public resources to provide services, it will be very difficult to grow the economy and ensure that no one is left behind in terms of access to crucial services such as water, healthcare, and education.
In his remarks, PPRIZ executive director Fr Gorden Moyo said procurement processes are crucial because they have a direct impact on service delivery and socioeconomic development.
