Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa called the online publication of Covid-19 government expenditure a historic moment, the Presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.
On the National Treasury website, the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) published a full list of all companies awarded government contracts to supply goods and services for the Covid-19 pandemic, the Presidency said.
The list includes Covid-19 procurement information from all provinces, national departments and more than 70 public entities.
The move is in line with a directive issued by President Ramaphosa on August 5 for departments to submit full information on Covid-19 tenders to the inter-ministerial commission, which Justice and Correctional services Minister Ronald Lamola convenes.
“This measure is unprecedented and a clear demonstration of government’s commitment to transparency and accountability when it comes to allegations of corruption in the Covid-19 procurement process,” Ramaphosa said.
The president has congratulated the National Treasury, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, national and provincial government departments and public entities for acting with urgency to collate the required information.
“The collaboration and cooperation between government departments during this process has been laudable, and a clear indication that we are going to intensify our efforts to act against any individuals or companies involved in corruption and profiteering around this pandemic,” Ramaphosa said.
The Presidency said that theNational Treasury would regularly update the online register to ensure information was current.
“By publishing these lists we have honoured our promise to the South African people. They enable proper scrutiny of the details of all companies who have received tenders for Covid-19-related services,” Ramaphosa said.
The Presidency said that the register was available on the national Treasury website.
African News Agency (ANA)