Agriculture ministry finalizes shift to digital procurement system

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is spearheading a digital transformation as it prepares for the mandatory rollout of the e-Government Procurement (e-GP) portal by July 1, 2025.

Livestock Development Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke outlined the ministry's readiness for this significant shift, stating that the new system will revolutionize how government does business with suppliers.

PS Mueke identified several key existing problems that the e-GP system aims to solve.

"The problem we are trying to solve is inefficient procurement. We are making sure that we minimize our waste, and also create an enabling environment, especially for our small and medium businesses, so that they can also feel like they can do business with government," he explained.

He noted that the current procurement process has been hampered by lengthy procedures and complex requirements.

"Sometimes we've also struggled with time of procurement, it's a fairly complex process. As we know in government, process is everything. So we have to follow the law, and sometimes the processes are very lengthy, from when you are preparing the bids, all the way to award, and sometimes it can take a while," Mueke said.

The digital platform promises to democratize access to government tenders. Previously, potential suppliers had to navigate cumbersome processes that require physical presence and newspaper advertisements.

"Usually, you have to go to a newspaper, and you have to look out for a tender, and then start figuring out how to apply and physically bring your tender document to the headquarters. But this now changes that completely, and as long as you have access to the internet, then you're a potential supplier," PS Mueke said.

The automation will also introduce service level agreements that will track the procurement process at each stage, ensuring accountability and faster processing times.

"Automating this enables us to put service level agreements, so that at each stage of the procurement process, you're able to know which officer is dealing with which process, and how long they have taken," he explained.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has undertaken comprehensive preparations for the transition.

PS Mueke confirmed that the ministry is fully compliant with National Treasury guidelines, having registered procurement officers and sensitized suppliers about the new system.

"We have been able to send registration for our procurement officers, registration for myself, also as an accounting officer to National Treasury so that we can get registered on the e-Government Procurement system. We have been able to sensitize our suppliers so that we can enable them to register on the system," he stated.

He added that staff training has been a priority, with personnel from various departments and State corporations attending National Treasury training sessions.

"We've also been able to send our staff across several departments, across our state corporations, to training that's being done by the National Treasury. So I could say we are ready for the program, and we've complied with a lot of the guidelines and ready for the rollout," Mueke confirmed.

The PS further stated that the ministry will make a complete transition to the e-GP platform by July 1, with no exceptions for unregistered suppliers.

"We are moving to this e-Government Procurement by July 1, which is just another week or so, and we will only be doing business with suppliers who are registered on the e-GP platform," the PS emphasized.

"So to all our suppliers, get onto the e-GP platform. It's online, it's a system that's run by National Treasury. You will find there instructions on how to register as a supplier and register so that we can be able to do business with you as government, and it also makes it much easier for you to do business."

The e-GP system represents a significant step in the government's anti-corruption efforts. PS Mueke acknowledged the public's concerns about procurement-related corruption and positioned the new system as a concrete action toward transparency.

"There's always been an outcry that corruption begins with procurement, and to the public we are just saying that this is one of the efforts that the government is putting in place to show by action and not just by word that there is now zero tolerance for corruption and that your money, public money that you pay through your taxes, is safe," he said.