Malawi’s decision to halt payments on more than 1,000 government contracts and subject them to a forensic review marks one of the most sweeping interventions in public procurement oversight in recent memory. It is a move that speaks both to the scale of concern within Capital Hill and to the fragility of the systems meant […]
President Lazarus Chakwera has said his Tonse Alliance administration will be implementing policies to ensure there is money in people’s pockets in line with its philosophy by directing all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs) to buy supplies locally. In a televised address on Sunday night, Chakwera said while that comprehensive review lead by […]
The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has challenged public procurement officers to exercise high levels of transparency and accountability by providing timely information to the public on any procurement issues in their respective institutions. CHRR executive director Michael Kaiyatsa said this is critical in maintaining public trust and removing suspicions in the public tendering […]
The Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) has given second chance to controversial South African owned dialysis operator Fresenius Medical Care (FMC). In a letter to secretary of health dated February 1, PPDA has been ordered to retender the procurement of dialysis services across the country. FMC previously had lost both the technical […]
Indigenous Businesspersons Association of Malawi (IBAM) has advised fellow players in the industry to develop resilience in the wake of Covid-19 and collaboration to take up available government business opportunities. Ibam president Mike Mlombwa encouraged the business community to learn from the survival mechanisms Chinese business players used to survive in a similar situation while […]
Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) has cleared the procurement in the controversial K10 billion Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) project. In June this year, SRWB advertised for a tender to do detailed designs and construction works for the extension of Mangochi Potable Water Supply Project funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic […]
A grouping that represents minority businesses in Malawi have joined the chorus of some concerned citizens who have denounced proposed regulations to award 60 percent of all contracts under national competitive bidding to indigenous black Malawians and 40% to others, describing the wording as being “distinctly discriminatory and unconstitutional.” The regulation dubbed Public Procurement and […]
Malawi’s development partners have low trust in the Public Finance Management systems and the country’s procurement systems at the moment, a Mid-Term Review of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) III has revealed. However, with the on the ongoing revived public sector reforms being led by State vice-president Saulos Chilima, the Tonse alliance led […]
The veil is certainly off the face of the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) and it is now time for the poor taxpayers to see the plunder that has been obtaining at their organization. MERA is mandated by Parliament to regulate the energy sector in Malawi in a fair, transparent, efficient and cost effective manner […]
Government has, with immediate effect, suspended awarding of contracts to pave way for a quick audit to ascertain a number of issues, “including transparency and credibility of processes and procedures followed and decisions made.” According to a memo from Chief Secretary to Government, Zangazanga Chikhosi addressed to heads of ministries, departments and agencies, any institution […]
Council for Non-Governmental Organisation (Congoma) says 60 per cent of last year’s K1.3 trillion national budget went to kickbacks. Congoma chief executive officer Ronald Mtonga said this at a meeting on Thursday in Lilongwe. “This lack of transparency in our national budget is fueling poverty in the country,” said Mtonga. He said it was sad […]
Nkhotakota district council has forced four senior officials, including the director of finance and accountant, go on forced leave over a K1.8 million ‘stationary-gate’. Sources at the council said the four took the money from social cash transfer vote. “They wrote a cheque which was duly signed on the pretext that they wanted to buy […]
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) Limited has cancelled plans to award a K675 million contract to bring down Escom House in Blantyre after a public outcry that the cost could have been less. Escom chief executive officer Dr Allexon Chiwaya said in a statement seen by Nyasa Times that the power utility body has […]
Malawi’s leading daily newspaper The Nation has used its extended coverage of its lead story that four groups under the banner of United Against Serious and Organised Crimes have queried the award of K9.7 billion contracts in the Malawi Police Service (MPS) mostly to one contractor through restricted tendering has “merit” and there should be […]
Battle lines have been drawn in the civil service as government wants Ministry of Health and Population chief procurement officer Roslyn Kamtambe Mwenye out for turning down demands from others to bend procurement rules in favour of some bidders. Mwenye is said not to be bowing down to the demands of some forces to get […]
The Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) cleared the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on the procurement of a $35 million (K27 billion) contract to upgrade the Passport Issuance System (PIS) and Introduction of the Electronic Passport after it had sought clarification on the rules. The department had sought PPDA clarification after it was impressed with […]
Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) says it is optimistic that the changes in the 2017 Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act (PPD) will improve public procurement system in the country. PPDA Acting Director General, Timothy Kalembo said on Friday in Blantyre during a media sensitisation meeting which aimed at making […]
Malawi’s second largest donors, the United States, is demanding a review in the procurement Act following what has been commonly dubbed ‘policegat’e which President Peter Mutharika may have benefitting K145 million from the government loot. The American embassy public affairs office Edward Monster said the US is concerned of the continued abuse of public money […]