Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo
Zimpapers Business Hub
THE Special Procurement Oversight Committee has saved the Government US$21 million since last year, a senior official said, through deliberating on sensitive and high-value public procurement transactions before their execution.
And in just the second quarter of this year, the committee saved the Government about US$14 million, demonstrating the effectiveness and benefits of the Government’s value for money audits.
SPOC is an oversight committee established in terms of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, and operates under the auspices of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ).
The committee is responsible for scrutinising sensitive, valuable, and exempted contracts, as stated in Section 52 (2) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act.
Zimbabwe introduced Value for Money audits to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public spending and resource management, aiming to improve service delivery and governance by ensuring public funds are used effectively to benefit citizens.
In a presentation during the Public Procurement Second Media Training Workshop in Kadoma this week, PRAZ operations manager Mrs Tinotenda Chipangura said the ‘sensitive contracts’ involved transactions of national interest.
This entails, especially, valuable contracts above the thresholds that a procuring entity can procure without first getting the green light from the oversight committee.
“SPOC enforces value for money as strategic alignment with national development goals,” said Mrs Chipangura.
“I’m happy to inform you that, as of last year through SPOC deliberations, the total savings of at least US$21 million were realised and also this year during the second quarter, the savings were US$14 million.”
SPOC also safeguards transparency, integrity, and accountability in high-value, strategic, or sensitive procurements to ensure that all the processes, procedures, and formalities in relation to the relevant legislation have been undertaken.
It also ensures conformity with applicable provisions of the Public Finance Management Act [Chapter:22:19] and any other enactment securing public and financial accountability;
The committee also ensures that the objectives of public procurement, as stated under Section 4 of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, are upheld in relation to the proposed award.
According to official data, over the past six years, PRAZ has achieved significant milestones, which include sensitising more than 12 000 procurement officers and bidders, reviewing 7 500 plus special procurements through SPOC, conducting 300+ institutional visits, generating more than 30 000 regular reports for procuring entities and processing over 100 appeal cases.
SPOC upholds public procurement integrity and protects public funds against mismanagement.
It also supports strategic national projects with proper scrutiny and promotes investor and public confidence in public procurement.
In addition, SPOC reduces procurement-related litigation by ensuring procedural compliance, highlighting areas where procurement practitioners might require more training.
