The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) has challenged government agencies and suppliers to rethink the way public money is spent, urging them to put local businesses, jobs and communities at the centre of procurement decisions to ensure government investment produces lasting economic benefits.PPDA Executive Director Benson Turamye said Uganda’s plan to achieve tenfold economic growth cannot be realised simply by increasing public spending. He said the real measure of success should be how much of that spending creates opportunities for Ugandan companies, workers and communities while strengthening the country’s productive capacity.
Turamye made the remarks at a Suppliers’ Forum organised by Uganda Development Bank (UDB) at Four Points by Sheraton in Kampala. The meeting, held under the theme “Enhancing Supplier Engagement in Public Procurement for Sustainable Development,” brought together procurement officials, suppliers and other stakeholders to examine how better engagement can improve the impact of public procurement.He described procurement as much more than a process of following rules and awarding contracts, saying it is one of the key tools government can use to drive sustainable development. Turamye stressed that the choice of supplier and the way projects are implemented can determine whether public investment creates lasting value or leaves communities dealing with unintended consequences.
He pointed to infrastructure projects where inadequate planning has affected neighbouring communities, including roads built without sufficient consideration for local needs, drainage systems that contribute to flooding and abandoned borrow pits that can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Such outcomes, he said, demonstrate the need to consider sustainability throughout the entire procurement and project cycle.With an estimated 65 percent of Uganda’s national budget channelled through procurement, Turamye said the sector has enormous power to influence the economy. He argued that this spending should be deliberately used to expand local enterprises, create employment, develop domestic supply chains and ensure that government investment generates wider economic opportunities.UDB Managing Director Dr Patricia Ojangole said the bank considers its suppliers strategic partners in delivering its development mandate. She noted that every project, system, facility and service provided by suppliers ultimately affects UDB’s ability to support enterprise growth, strengthen productive sectors and contribute to improved livelihoods.The forum also addressed practical issues affecting suppliers, including procurement regulations, bidding procedures, compliance, self-assessment and the rights and responsibilities of bidders. Discussions further explored open contracting, professionalisation of procurement, local content and green procurement, with participants agreeing that stronger supplier engagement is essential if public procurement is to become a major driver of Uganda’s economic transformation.
