South Sudan to Digitize Public Procurement System

(JUBA) — South Sudan has pledged to fully digitize its public procurement system to bolster transparency and align with East African Community (EAC) standards. The UN Radio Miraya Reported on Thursday. The announcement came Thursday at the conclusion of the 17th East African Procurement Forum. The three-day event, hosted by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDAA), drew 300 delegates from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Burundi. South Sudan is currently transitioning from basic electronic tools to a comprehensive Electronic Government Procurement (EGP) system. This reform aims to address systemic challenges, including Corruption and Inefficiency, Political Interference, Regional Integration Ajang Deng Daniel, Acting Executive Director of the PPDAA, confirmed that World Bank-funded projects are providing the technical and financial foundation for this migration.

“We want to migrate from this basic kind of e-procurement to a real EGP,” Daniel stated, noting the country must act now to avoid being left behind by its neighbors.

The forum centered on “beneficial ownership disclosure,” a mechanism to reveal the true owners of companies bidding for government contracts. Regional officials emphasized that legislative amendments are underway across East Africa to tackle emerging governance challenges and ensure competitive, fair bidding processes.