Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) has warned that government will not fund procurement by public institutions that fail to use the Malawi National Electronic Procurement System (MANePS) when it becomes mandatory on January 1 2027.
Speaking on Friday during a media orientation with Nyika Media Club in Mzuzu, PPDA director general George Mankhwala said December 31 2026 would be the deadline for procuring and disposing entities to prepare for the transition.
He said the authority was training government institutions and engaging them to ensure they were ready to use the system.
“Any institution that chooses to procure outside MANePS will not receive government funding for that procurement, even if it has goods and services it needs to buy,” he said.
Mankhwala said the law also allowed the authority to penalise institutions that failed to comply.
MANePS replaces the manual processes government institutions have been using to procure goods and services.
Mankhwala said the system was designed to improve efficiency, transparency and competition while making procurement officials accountable for their decisions.
However, he acknowledged that limited digital skills and poor internet connectivity could affect some users.
To address these challenges, he said PPDA planned to establish MANePS support hubs in the country’s regions before extending them to district level.
The hubs will have internet facilities and dedicated staff to help users navigate the system and resolve technical difficulties.
Mankhwala said the authority would continue training procuring and disposing entities until December 31 2026.
Nyika Media Club vice-chairperson Clementina Ponderani said the orientation had been an eye-opener and would help journalists sensitise the public about the new procurement system.
