Treasury's emergency procurement lacks transparency: Corruption Watch

Corruption Watch has written to the National Treasury raising concerns about the risk of corruption and the lack of transparency relating to emergency procurement during the lockdown.

"The release of successive instruction notes has created legal uncertainty and increased risk of corruption because of the lack of transparency or provision for monitoring procurement by third parties," the organisation said in a statement.

Corruption Watch said it had requested clarity on the process for procurements that occurred under previous regulations, whether these were to subsist, and what reporting and publication requirements were in place.

“Issues of transparency and accountability are paramount in all of our work, and nowhere are these more critical than in the arena of public procurement,” said Karam Singh, head of legal and investigations at Corruption Watch.

“While we appreciate the need for fluidity to respond to the shifting demands of this global pandemic, it is equally as important that the basic principles governing procurement remain in place to ensure that the much-needed support reaches beneficiaries timeously and without interference.”

According to the organisation, the needs of the most vulnerable should remain a priority for all the stakeholders involved in the emergency procurement process.

“We must do everything within our power to limit further damage and ensure that there is ample provision for public scrutiny of procurement during this crisis,” added Singh.

Corruption Watch called on the Treasury to share its plans to improve transparency so that civil society organisations could effectively monitor emergency procurement.