•       Benchmarking of prices in the public procurement process requires every organization to comply with transparent and efficient standards.

•       It will allow internal auditors to ensure organizations follow the guidelines provided in the public procurement act.

•       Poor governance culture exhibited in the recent years compromised public service delivery.

Internal Auditors Association of Zambia said the benchmarking of prices in the public procurement process is a good move which requires every citizen and organization to comply with standards of a transparent and efficient public procurement system.

Internal Auditor Nyambe Mayeya told Money FM News in an interview that this will also enhance accountability in the procurement process which allows internal auditors to see to it that organizations follow the guidelines that are provided in the public procurement act.

Mr. Mayeya added that public service delivery was compromised when the benchmarking of prices was not put into consideration as the involved parties always waited for confirmation from higher authorities to carry out their duties which resulted into misallocation of public resources.

He further said that the poor governance culture exhibited in the recent years affected operations of the audit system in the country as he also called for a mindset change in the governance culture going forward.

Mr. Mayeya said, “It is a very good move that will require everyone to comply with the standards in the public procurement act and also be accountable as at now it will really (really) help the internal auditors to make sure that organizations are able to follow the guidelines provided by the management.”

“In the recent years, everything was to do with the tone from the top officials as when the director in charge or the overall bosses pronounces how the process should function that is when it trickles down to the people on the bottom to take it serious and try to perform to reach the standards that are put in place but if the top officials are quiet on the matter, then everybody else in the management of public procurement process is relaxed which is not supposed to be the case,” he added.

Mr. Mayeya further said, “you know the governance culture also affects the public procurement process because if we have poor governance culture, everything in the public procurement process will be just like that (bad), so if only we can improve on our governance culture where we deal with work and take full serious responsibility, that is when things will be better.”  

Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya said President Hakainde Hichilema has embarked on the reformation of the public procurement of the country as he stressed that the recent revelations by the Auditor General’s Report on the non-compliance to procurement procedures by the past regime has annoyed the Head of State.

President Hichilema has guided that all Government procurement agencies adhere to Circular Number 4 of 2021 issued by Cabinet office on the procurement of goods and services, warning of consequences to those who would disregard the guidelines.