GOVT SPENT E14BN ON PROCUREMENT IN 2017/18

EZULWINI – The Eswatini public sector, in the year 2017/2018 spent about E14 billion, which accounts for 22 per cent of the GDP to procure goods, works and services.

Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg, in his opening remarks during the inaugural Procurement Indaba convened at the Royal Swazi Spa said this should make it automatic, given the kingdom’s developmental approach and the transformational pieces of legislation and policies, that Small, medium and micro enterprises would thrive.  Rijkenberg said the marginalised majority of emaSwati should be drawn into the mainstream economy, which would see more people getting out of poverty.

“It is the task of the Procurement Indaba not only to look at the root causes of this disconnect between the huge public sector investment and the slow emergence of successful entrepreneurs, but also to come up with workable and sustainable solutions to fixing it,” said Rijkenberg.  
The minister further said procurement had been identified as one of government’s priority areas if the kingdom seeks to seriously reverse the current economic state of affairs.

He said this was so because government and public entities combined were a major procurer of goods, services and works in their quest to provide social benefit to the people of Eswatini and grow the economy. 
“I want to challenge delegates to have robust deliberations on how government can improve efficiency and effectiveness of the procurement system to achieve our national economic objectives,” said Rijkenberg.  

overstatement

The minister said it was not an overstatement to speculate that, at times like these, the country cannot afford to come with either the sole purpose of protecting their respective turfs or scratching the surface.

He said the simple reason was that procurement, as a function, was a critical lever for their radical economic transformation efforts.
“Our gathering here for the next two days is not necessarily about the discussion of procurement at a theoretical level but about ensuring that we optimally utilise procurement to breathe life to our ailing economy for the betterment of all emaSwati,” added Rijkenberg.

The minister added that procurement should be used as tool for “accelerating economic recovery, growth and sustainable development through strategic public procurement and public private partnerships (PPPs)”.

Eswatini Public Procurement Regulatory Agency (ESPPRA) Chief Executive Officer Madoda Mngomezulu explained that they choose to define procurement as the muscle that that enables the country to lift all the heavy stuff that stands between the nation and a better future.

At the level of the public sector, Mngomezulu said procurement enabled to leverage resources from business in order to achieve national objectives. “It enables us to deliver services and build a society that our Constitution promises. It is the lifeblood of our economy, a guarantee for its growth and global competitiveness,” said Mngomezulu.

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