Malawi Government has formally launched electronic procurement system which Secretary to the Treasury Cliff Chiunda says will help save billions of kwacha previously lost to corruption and inefficiencies in public procurement.
Speaking in Lilongwe yesterday during an orientation session for controlling officers on the Malawi National Electronic Procurement System (MANePS), he said procurement accounts for nearly 70 percent of the national budget and that the old paper-based system was prone to serious weaknesses.
“A lot of resources are wasted through procurement in Malawi. Every tambala that is abused undermines value for money,” said Chiunda.
MANePS, which became mandatory on April 1, is an online platform that manages the entire procurement cycle, from planning and tendering to contract award and payment.
The government first announced the system in 2024 as part of the Malawi 2063 digital transformation agenda to replace paper-based system that had been in use since independence.
Chiunda said the new system will enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency in public spending, and urged controlling officers to take a leading role in ensuring full compliance and migration to the digital platform.
“This is not a task to be delegated; it requires your active involvement and commitment,” he said.
Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) acting director general Timothy Kalembo said uptake of the system is steadily increasing, with 4 444 suppliers currently registered and 174 procuring entities onboarded. Monthly registrations have risen sharply from about 120 to between 500 and 800.
He said the manual system forced bidders to travel long distances to access registration forms and made it difficult for auditors to trace documents, even after large sums of money had been paid out.
“The system’s security has been tested by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority [Macra], which attempted to breach it and confirmed its robustness. A further independent penetration test is also planned,” said Kalembo.
Office of the President and Cabinet Principal Secretary for Good Governance Reinford Mwangonde earlier said the administration of President Peter Mutharika is implementing MANePS to close loopholes that enable graft.
“Strict automation of procurement will reduce human interaction and enable real-time financial tracking, thereby limiting discretion and opportunities for corruption,” he said.
PPDA has previously indicated that it is intensifying efforts to curb misprocurement through MANePS. However, experts have noted challenges, including high internet costs and weak infrastructure.
