Nabbanja calls for procurement reforms to promote transparency and value for money

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has called for stronger accountability, transparency and the adoption of modern technology in public procurement to ensure government resources deliver value for money and improve service delivery.

Nabbanja says public procurement should be treated as a strategic tool for economic transformation rather than merely an administrative process, noting that it plays a critical role in the effective utilisation of public resources.

In a speech delivered on her behalf by the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Chrispus Kiyonga, during the opening of the 10th International Public Procurement Conference at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Nabbanja revealed that public procurement accounts for more than 50 per cent of Uganda’s annual government budget.

She challenged procurement professionals, researchers and policymakers to move beyond identifying challenges and develop practical solutions to corruption, inefficiency and unfair competition.

The Prime Minister also urged governments to embrace electronic procurement, artificial intelligence and data analytics while strengthening cybersecurity, data protection and ethical safeguards.

She emphasised that discussions at the conference should translate into measurable reforms that strengthen procurement systems, support local enterprises and promote sustainable development.

Meanwhile, the President of the International Public Procurement Conference, Professor Fuguo Cao, called for technology-driven reforms, saying innovations such as artificial intelligence, big data and electronic procurement are increasingly transforming public procurement systems.

Professor Cao stressed that procurement should go beyond compliance with procedures to ensure efficient use of public funds, promote fair competition, combat corruption and strengthen public trust.

He further called for the integration of sustainability, technology, law and governance into procurement systems, noting that supply chain management is becoming increasingly important in modern public procurement.

On his part, the Director General of Uganda Management Institute, Professor James L. Nkata, challenged African procurement stakeholders to embrace reforms that can accelerate economic development, improve service delivery and address corruption.

Professor Nkata revealed that public procurement across Africa accounts for approximately 17 per cent of the continent’s gross domestic product, estimated at 535 billion US dollars.

He urged procurement experts to explore how artificial intelligence and digital systems can improve efficiency and accountability while ensuring that economic policies ultimately benefit ordinary citizens.

Professor Nkata also cautioned that procurement discussions should not remain academic but instead focus on practical solutions to challenges affecting public and private sector institutions.

The conference, organised by Uganda Management Institute in partnership with the International Public Procurement Conference, is being held under the theme “Forging a New Paradigm in Public Procurement and Supply Chain.”

It has attracted academics, policymakers, procurement practitioners and industry experts from several countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, including Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Rwanda, India, Singapore, Russia, Brazil and the Netherlands.

Participants are expected to present research papers, exchange experiences and explore innovative approaches to strengthening public procurement and supply chain management globally.