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Kenya: Poor Funding Blunts Teeth of Procurement Authority

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4 years ago

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Underfunding of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) is the reason behind its inability to fight corruption, according to accountants.

The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (Icpak) says the authority has been rendered toothless in administering its mandate that’s meant to seal procurement loopholes.

Accountants, most of whom work in government establishments, say that due to poor funding, the authority has been unable to conduct key roles such as market index surveys, which would prevent fiddling with prices by government suppliers.

“PPRA should conduct market surveys at least bi-annually then feed the information into the Ifmis system. If we put in ceilings [to prices] obtained through market surveys, it will be clear in the Ifmis system that if you are buying a product, there is a maximum price beyond which a supplier cannot [go],” Mr Andrew Tanui, Icpak’s legislative affairs subcommittee chairperson said on Wednesday.

Digital platform

Ifmis stands for the Integrated Finance Management Information System.

It is a digital platform procured by the government to manage public finances, through integration of various systems, primarily meant to ensure that government procurements are done according to the law.

Mr Tanui spoke when an Icpak team appeared before Senate’s committee on Finance and Budget. A price range for goods in Ifmis will see the system reject any quotation beyond certain figures, the Icpak boss told the senators.