THE Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) has drawn a firm line in the sand: no payment will be processed for Treasury-funded contracts concluded outside the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system.
The message is unmistakable — compliance is no longer optional.
This decisive stance comes against a backdrop of persistent procurement irregularities repeatedly flagged in Auditor-General reports: inflated contracts, weak oversight and costly delays.
Of the country’s 372 procurement entities, fewer than half are fully utilising the platform introduced in October 2023. That level of hesitation is no longer sustainable.
For a cash-strapped government grappling with limited revenue inflows and rising expenditure pressures, the e-GP system is not merely a transparency tool — it is a fiscal guardrail.
Every dollar lost to inflated tenders, manipulated bidding or administrative inefficiency is a dollar diverted from hospitals, classrooms, roads and social protection. In the health sector, procurement failures can cost lives. In infrastructure, inflated contracts stall development and deepen fiscal strain.
Zimbabwe is not experimenting in isolation. Across Africa, electronic procurement reforms are delivering measurable gains.
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Rwanda, the first African country to roll out a nationwide e-procurement platform, has significantly reduced procurement turnaround times and strengthened transparency by eliminating face-to-face interaction between bidders and officials. The result has been streamlined purchasing and improved public confidence.
Ghana offers another instructive example. Since launching the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) in 2019, the country has embedded compliance into accountability structures. GHANEPS usage forms part of the appraisal criteria for chief directors of ministries, placing direct responsibility on senior officials to ensure adoption across their departments and agencies.
Crucially, GHANEPS is integrated with the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), making it mandatory for payments to be processed only for contracts procured through the electronic platform. Non-compliance carries administrative consequences.
These examples demonstrate that digital procurement reforms succeed when enforcement is firm and integration is comprehensive.
Digitising procurement closes many of the loopholes that historically enabled abuse. By recording every stage — from bid submission to contract award — the e-GP system creates a clear, auditable trail. It reduces discretionary interference, limits opportunities for manipulation and strengthens public accountability.
Beyond curbing corruption, the reform modernises the State. It shortens procurement cycles, reduces bureaucratic bottlenecks and generates real-time data for evidence-based decision-making. In a constrained fiscal environment, efficiency is not a luxury — it is an economic imperative.
The private sector also stands to benefit. A transparent, standardised digital platform lowers transaction costs, improves bid quality, reduces disputes and fosters fair competition.
Government-to-business engagement becomes faster, more predictable and more secure.
Importantly, the reform sends a powerful signal to investors and development partners. Transparent procurement systems build confidence. They demonstrate that public funds are safeguarded and that the government is serious about accountability and structural reform.
Praz’s enforcement posture is, therefore, both timely and necessary. Training has been conducted. Infrastructure is in place. What remains is unwavering compliance.
Zimbabwe cannot afford a dual system where paper-based processes coexist with a reform designed to eliminate precisely those inefficiencies. In an economy where every cent counts, opaque procurement practices must become relics of the past.
The directive is clear: the future of public procurement is digital.
The e-GP system is here to stay.
