Bureaucracy within the Procurement processes frustrates service delivery.

By; Gideon Peter Ssebulime

03^rd July 2020

Delays in the procurement process has had a negative effect on government reputation, budget absorption, and service delivery, a new report by CoST Uganda Chapter has indicated.

 Under the theme “Promoting Fair Business Practices between Government and the Private Sector in Uganda,” CoST Uganda analyzed existing government procurement portal (GPP) data on a number of objectives.

Releasing the findings during a Media Interface in Kampala, Michael Cengkuru the CoST Uganda Chapter Open Data Specialist said the private sector delays in procurement, directly increase operating costs through interest payments on bid securities and performance bonds, which must be extended whenever a contract is not concluded in time.

CoST Uganda urged government in the report to provide a baseline for engagement between Government and the Private Sector.

The data arose out of the assessment conducted on 19 Government entities including 10 Local Government of

Adjumani, Arua, Gulu, Hoima, Kabale, and Wakiso Local Governments. Others were Kyenjojo, Masindi, Mbale, and Mbarara, while the ministries included those of Education and Sports, Energy and Mineral Development, Health, Water and Environment, and Works and Transport.

Also analysed were government entities such as National Water and Sewerage Cooperation (NWSC) and Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA).

Cengkuru told the journalists who attended a one-day media training on reporting on Infrastructure development in Uganda that most projects analysed had time and cost overruns.

Edwin Muhumuza the Director Corporate Affairs, Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) said the Electronic Government Procurement will soon be in place and once in place, all anomalies to do with procurement processes will be history.