INTRODUCTION

The Infrastructure sector in Rwanda covers 5 sub-sectors; Transport, Energy, Habitat and Urbanism, Water & Sanitation and Meteorology. Currently, all development programmes and related project activities in the respective sub-sectors are executed by the Ministry under the supervision of sub-sector coordinators who are supported by professionals in each respective field. The sub-sector programmes are implemented independently of each other while maintaining a national objective as laid out in the Vision 2020 and the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS 2008-2012). The sub-sector programmes require to be monitored and regularly reported on, in order to maintain some coherence with the General Vision and Mission of the Ministry as well as Country’s mission. One of the key pillars to keep smooth running of the sectors and accomplish set vision, target and mission is a proper procurement.

Definition. 

"Procurement" shall mean purchase, hire, lease, rental, exchange or any other commercial transaction involving the outlay of funds in return for the provision of goods, equipment and related services, construction contracts and service contracts to the Government. 

“Public Procurement” refers to the supplies or goods, works, consultant services and other services as they may be needed by a procuring entity; 

Budgetary provisions 

Procurement must be in accordance with the adopted Annual Budget or a Government resolution and sufficient funds must be available to meet the full cost of the proposed procurement. 

Responsibilities 

Government staff in general and Ministry’s staff in particular must ensure that they do not participate in any action, which may be deemed to be:

• Canvassing by any party with a material interest in the procurement,

• Release of commercial in confidence information,

• Collusion – i.e. collaboration between parties involved in the procurement process. 

IMPLEMENTATION OF FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT 

Transparency 

Public participation in procurement to allow free and fair competition minimizes corruption in the system, creating confidence, credibility, and reflects good governance on the part of the county's leadership. Transparency is practiced through public advertisement in public media, national and international papers of high circulation.  Similarly, exhaustive information details about national tenders are posted on public notice boards that are well displayed to the public at the Rwanda Public Procurement Authority Office. Besides, Information on any aspect regarding past, current and future tenders is readily available on request as a right to the public. This has been intentionally done to enhance public relations for the sole purpose of creating trust, confidence and acceptability.

Economy  

Public procurement entails efficient use of public funds to ensure value for money, achievable and realizable public programs and projects at minimum cost. While implementing public policy, competition based and guided by both quantitative and qualitative criteria is conducted to achieve best quality at minimum.  

Equity 

Considerations of equity is an aspect of good  governance where benefits from public resources  are evenly distributed to minimize monopolistic tendencies that may come about due to uneven distribution of capacity and other influencing factors. In this regard, both the weak and strong private enterprises as well as other beneficiaries in public procurement should be catered for to establish equity. 

Efficiency 

Efficiency to expedite procurement functions is of high essence so as to avoid bogging down implementation of public programs at the expense of transparency.

Accountability 

Accountability is an administrative necessity in public administration, more so with regard to public financial management. 

 Click below to download procurement Laws and Regulations:

Law on public procurement

Regulation Public Procurement