Open tenders the answer to graft
SYSTEM WILL BE ROLLED OUT OVER GAUTENG It’s the principal instrument to eradicate irregular expenditure, says Makhura.
In a bid to ensure transparency in the handling of state public tenders, the Gauteng provincial government intends to roll out the open tender system in all spheres of government.
The move forms part of efforts by Gauteng provincial government to restore public confidence in the work of government and discourage fraud and corruption.
The new procurement system in Gauteng would assist in eliminating irregular expenditure and enforcing compliance with supply chain regulations, Gauteng Premier David Makhura said at a media briefing on the outcomes audit report for the financial year 20152016 in Soweto yesterday.
“The principal instrument to eradicate irregular expenditure is the open tender system,”Makhura said. “We started it two years ago.
“This is the primary intervention to deal with the issues that made departments not reach their 100% clean audits.”
Makhura said the open tender system was good for governance.
“That is why we would like to work with every municipality that would like to implement it in Gauteng,” Makhura said.
“It is part of building a particular approach to governance and hides nothing from the public.”
Gauteng finance MEC Barbara Creecy said the Gauteng government was the only government in the world that was adjudicating tenders in public.
“The open tender is one of the ways that we are telling the public when we issue a contract, here is the reason why we are issuing it to this person.”
Makhura said the health department, which has been embroiled in scandals, improved to an unqualified audit status, attributed to a strategic intervention plan.