Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has stated special measures will be taken this year to eliminate corruption conducted through procurement policies of state institutions and state-owned enterprises.
Speaking at a programme aired on PSM News, Senior Education Officer of ACC Ali Shameem Adam said about 70% of all cases submitted to ACC are related to procurement. As such, Shameem noted most of the cases related to procurement involves sharing the awarding criteria and prices in advance with certain parties, and awarding the contracts to companies or individuals with a personal or business connection. He said there are many cases where undue advantages have been taken in special circumstances which allow emergency procurement policies to be implemented.
Shameem further noted state-owned enterprises are not mandated to follow the Public Finance Regulation, as they are separate legal entities which follow the procurement policies enacted by the company’s board. He said ACC has identified several cases where sudden changes are brought to the procurement policies of such companies in favour of a certain individual or company.
Speaking further, Shameem said ACC will be taking special measures this year to eliminate procurement-related corruption within the government and state-owned enterprises. He also acknowledged the initiative of some state-owned companies to seek the counsel of ACC to revise procurement policies in order to reduce the opportunities for corruption. He added ACC plans to conduct special programmes for state institutions and companies this year to create awareness on procurement-related issues.