The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) says only 43% of public entities have submitted annual procurement plans for the 2024/25 financial year.
IPPR said of the 173 public entities required to do so, only 75 have complied by late October.
According to IPPR’s research Associate, Frederico Links this shortfall points to considerable delays halfway through the fiscal year.
The research associate said only 20 out of 33 central government offices, ministries, and agencies (OMAs) met their procurement plan submission requirements, equating to a 61% compliance rate among OMAs.
“And then once again the issue of annual procurement plans remains a major compliance issue within the public procurement system, we still have a less than 50% compliance rate and we are halfway through the 2024/2025 financial year, so most public entities are not compliant,” Frederico Links said.
This comes as the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN), on October 23, also released its half-year performance figures for the 2024/25 financial year, highlighting activities and expenditures from April to September.
During this period, the CPBN approved 14 bids totaling nearly N$4 billion. Notably, 10 of these bids, valued at over N$1 billion, were awarded through competitive methods such as open national and restricted bidding.
However, four contracts amounting to close to N$2.7 billion were awarded via non-competitive direct procurement, with approximately N$2 billion allocated specifically between the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the Namibia Institute of Pathology.
In terms of regional distribution, CPBN monitored the execution of 164 contracts worth N$6.7 billion across various regions, with the Khomas region alone accounting for over N$1 billion in project value.
These projects included works, goods, consultancy services, and non-consultancy services.
The CPBN’s monitoring report indicated that 55% of projects were progressing on schedule, while approximately 10% were falling behind.
Data remains outstanding for around 20% of the projects, underlining a pressing need for closer adherence to timelines and improved project management.
The e-Procurement Portal further indicated public interest in specific ministries’ procurement plans.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform had the most downloads, with 973 views, followed closely by the Ministry of Health and Social Services with 697 downloads.
