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Gauteng Premier David Makhura says as part of promoting accountability, transparency, integrity, public scrutiny and citizen participation in governance, Gauteng Provincial Government introduced the Open Tender Process in 2014.

Addressing the Open Tender Seminar on Tuesday at Gallagher Convection Centre Premier Makhura said it was important to remove corruption in public procurement systems. He said the tender or procurement process all over the world was an avenue through which state corruption and state capture took place.  He further noted that the provincial government was using the Open Tender system to change the structure of the economy in Gauteng.

Organised by the Gauteng Treasury, the seminar’s main focus is to enhance the integrity of public procurement processes and making government more accountable, more transparent and more responsive to the needs of citizens.  Makhura’s administration introduced the Open Tender Process to address corruption and strengthen good governance.

Government procurement budget is estimated to be over R500 billion for goods and services annually. Gauteng spends more than R47 billion on procurement annually.

Premier Makhura said the political will and determination to win the war against corruption cannot be measured in the words politicians utter but it must be demonstrated in the practical and preventive measures that are put in place to promote clean governance, integrity and enhance public scrutiny and probity.

“Transparency and accountability are important to save public officials and civil servants from themselves and from capture by private or corporate interests. We can no longer treat the issues of corruption only as a perception.

“We must deal with it as a reality that threatens to erode public confidence in all state   institutions,” said Makhura.

He noted that as the Premier of Gauteng, he has heard stories from frustrated honest business people who say how difficult it was to get a tender despite their capacity to deliver.

“I have also met entrepreneurs, innovators and business executives who have told me that they do not bother anymore to bid for government work citing reasons that in order to get a tender, you have to bribe your way into the corridors of power,” he said, adding that this cannot be tolerated.

Since the piloting of the Open Tender Process in 2014, 72 tenders to the value of R 10.4 billion have now been awarded using the Open Tender System. For the current financial year, Gauteng’s target is that 60% of its total procurement spend should go through the Open Tender System. This target will increase to 80% in the 2017/18 financial year and to 100% in the 2018/19 financial year.

In addition, Makhura said the provincial government will continue to encourage all municipalities through the Premier’s Coordinating Forum (PCF) to rollout the Open Tender Process, regardless of whichever party governs which municipality. Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan congratulated Gauteng government on its resolve in promoting the culture of good governance and accountability through the Open Tender Process.  He further spoke at length about how government should be more accountable to citizens.

“Government expenditure is an important tool that ensures that we are able to deliver to the people. Procurement in any sphere of government is directly linked to the national budget. It is also important to account for how the money is allocated and used,” said Gordhan, adding that citizens should hold politicians to account.

He added that corruption entrenched poverty and inequality.

Issued by Gauteng Provincial Government