• ZPPA Director General’s speech at the public procurement training workshop

It is with great pleasure and honour that i take this opportunity to welcome you all to this very important workshop. Thank you for having taken time off your busy schedules to attend this training workshop on electronic government procurement usage.

As you may be aware, the Zambia Public Procurement Authority is a statutory body mandated to provide regulatory and oversight function over procuring entities in order to promote integrity, fairness and public confidence in public procurement. Allow me to state that, the authority has continued to implement notable reforms in the quest to improve public procurement processes and the implementation of the electronic government procurement (e-gp) system is one such example. The implementation of the e-gp marks a new era in public procurement reforms and is in line with government’s overall policy to digitize its operations. Allow me to mention that the e-gp system has a number of benefits not only to the government but to all procuring entities involved in the procurement process and to the general citizenry. The system has simplified public procurement and drastically reduced the challenges faced in the manual process.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Once fully implemented, it is envisaged that vices like corruption, collusion and bid rigging will be reduced.this is because the procurement of goods, works and services will be done in a transparent manner. The e-gp system will also enhance efficiency by simplifying public procurement processes.

The aim of this training is to enhance your knowledge and understanding of public procurement processes especially in the usage of the electronic government procurement system (e-gp). As you will notice from the programme, this workshop will focus on electronic procurement processes such as online annual procurement planning, e-tendering and online tender advertising.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Public procurement accounts for 15 percent (15%) of zambia’s gross domestic product (gdp). This is a big portion of zambia’s gdp which if handled properly can contribute positive results to the national economy and development agenda. Public procurement therefore, is a vital component in the development process of zambia. The implementation of the e-gp system means that all procurement transactions can be carried out electronically leaving a clear audit trail of all activities. This training for zccm-ih, is a step in the right direction and it is our desire as zppa for all procuring entities to migrate to   e- procurement.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Given the ever-changing business trends world over, zambia has not been left behind and positive strides have been made in implementing strategies that will continuously improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public procurement. Therefore, improvements should always be embraced even at the expense of the seemingly comfortable status quo. The public procurement system in zambia is no exception to the need for continuous improvement hence the introduction of the e-gp system.

As i conclude, allow me to welcome all of you once again to this very important workshop and i want to assure you that, as the public procurement regulator we will endeavour to do everything within our madate and ensure that the playing field in public procurement is favorable for all stakeholders. I  wish to inform you that in the public procurement bill, the usage of the egp system will be mandatory, as zppa we are happy that you have made the decision of transforming from manual procurement to digital and should you have challenges at any stage of using the system, our e-gp technical team is readily available to work with you.  Please do not hesitate to contact my staff beyond this workshop for any e-gp related support you may require. I also wish to inform you that the authority has embarked on a rigorous training program targeted at suppliers to increase the number of suppliers trained in online bid submission.

Ladies and gentlemen,

At the end of this workshop we will provide each participant with a certifcate of attendance. With these remarks, i declare this workshop officially open

I thank you for your attention and ensure that you take care of yourselves by observing social distance, sanitizing and masking up always.

Stay safe and god bless you all