The Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) is participating in the UNODC–Open Contracting Partnership Regional e-Government Procurement (e-GP) Workshop and Training for Africa currently underway in Lusaka, Zambia.

The engagement brings together key public procurement institutions from across the continent to strengthen knowledge sharing and collaboration on digital procurement reforms.

Malawi is represented at the workshop by PPDA’s E-GP Manager, Ms. Yvonne Kasamba, the Director of Finance, Ms. Tanangachi Manda and Katoto Mtambo of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

The three-day program covers a wide range of thematic areas, including the application of artificial intelligence in e-procurement, project and change management, and country experiences in implementing e-GP systems. 

Participants are also exploring the use of Beneficial Ownership information, Open Contracting Data Standards (OCDS), business intelligence tools, red-flag dashboards, and practical approaches to strengthening system adoption and performance.

Speaking on the significance of the engagement, Ms. Kasamba noted that the workshop offers critical practical learning that directly supports Malawi’s ongoing reforms. 

She highlighted that exposure to countries at different stages of implementation provides valuable lessons that can improve system optimization and governance. 

“It supports effective implementation and continuous improvement of our e-GP system, needless to say that the training also demonstrates how OCDS can enhance transparency and public trust.

The workshop has convened participants from Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Sierra Leone. 

PPDA’s participation comes at a crucial time as Malawi continues to scale up the Malawi National Electronic Procurement System (MANePS). 

The insights gained are expected to strengthen system governance, improve stakeholder adoption, and reinforce the Authority’s commitment to a modern, transparent, and accountable public procurement environment that delivers value for money to the people of Malawi.