Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authourity

HISTORICAL SETTING

Uganda has been a leader in Africa in the implementation of public procurement reforms. The process of procurement reforms in Uganda started in 1997 and in 2003 Uganda was one of the first countries in Africa to enact a procurement law.

The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) was then created by this law and on February, 2003 it became operational as a regulator of public procurement and disposal of public assets in Uganda.

The burden of the young Authority in 2003 was to ensure that all Government departments at the local and central level worked from the same sheet.

This led to the amending of the Local Government Act to allow enactment of the LG (PPDA) Regulati ons, 2006, which harmonized procurement at all government levels.

Since then, PPDA has been at the forefront of promoting a well functioning procurement system by working together with local and international partners.

In summary, the procurement reforms have included number of acti vities and processes such as

i. The enactment of PPDA Act 2003.

ii. Establishment of PPDA Authority.

iii. Establishment of procurement structures in sector agencies.

iv. Setting up a complaint review system.

v. Efforts at centralizing a national data bank of service providers through the creation of a register of providers.

vi. Compliance monitoring through audits, compliance checks etc.

vii. Harmonization of Local Government and Central Government procurement legal framework.

viii. Capacity building in all Entities in Uganda.

ix. Setting standards through Standard Bidding Documents, circulars, guidelines, common user items list of average prices.

x. Development of strategic partnerships with development partners, other oversight bodies and CSOs.

The law and the above processes have increased competi tion in the public procurement process including increased opportunity for redress in case of dissatisfaction with the procurement process.

MANDATE OF PPDA

The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) was established under the PPDA Act of 2003. Read more

Promoting Accountability in Public Procurement. Click for more

CHALLENGES

While the Authority realized a number of achievements as mentioned above, a number of challenges were also faced during this period as below

a) Inadequate staff compared to the increasing demand for services

The staffing level of the Authority stands at 70. However, given the Authority’s mandate and the growing number of PDEs, especially at Local Government level, there have been noticeable constraints on mandate.

b) Inadequate Financial Resources

The resources available at the disposal of the Authority have remained unchanged over the years despite an increasing demand for the services especially at both the Central and Local Governments.

c) Centralized Operations

The Authority is centrally located, yet there is a growing number of PDEs upcountry that need its services. Given the funding and staffing levels, the Authority has difficulty to conveniently extend services to the upcountry PDEs.

Under the revised structure it is recommended to open up three regional offices over the next three years subject to availability of funding.

d) Unethical Practices

The findings from the recent Procurement Integrity Survey indicate that the perception of corruption is still affecting the procurement process. The business sector is characterized by low levels of integrity, professionalism and increasing levels of corruption and bribery.

The Authority often receives complaints from the bidders on issues regarding many omission or breach by a PDE, of the Act, Regulations, and Guidelines, SBDs or best practices.

f) Capacity Gaps at PDEs

The procurement profession in the country is still growing and there is need for more professionals. The few professionals available keep on moving from entity to entity or resign leaving a technical capacity gap in the PDEs. Contract committee members whose terms have expired have been replaced with new members who are not well equipped with procurement knowledge. Click to view

Congratulatins PPDA ON YOUR 10TH, ANNIVERSARY

URA would like to join the rest of the Procurement family all over the country to congratulate you upon your 10th anniversary in spear heading reforms in the Public Procurement Sector.

Through your guidance URA has gained public confidence as a credible entity which handles procurements transparently to ensure fairness to all bidders. “URA the entity to do business with” A slogan always advanced by our providers. URA

CELEBRATING THE PPDA 10TH ANNIVERSARY

The office of the The Auditor General (OAG) wishes to congratulate Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) upon their 10th year Anniversary. Click to view