‘SMEs should participate in public procurement processes’

TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO 

The Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) has encouraged the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), women and youths to take part in the public procurement processes in a bid to empower them and help revive the economy.

“We expect more previously marginalised suppliers in the communities such as SMEs, women and youth owned businesses to take part in the public procurement processes and register with PRAZ,” PRAZ board chairperson, Vimbai Nyemba said at the launch of  the public procurement service centres in Bulawayo last week.

She said the establishment of public centres would also promote the way of doing business.

“The authority heeded the call. The public procurement service centre will promote the way of doing business in supplier registration which translate to an increase of suppliers registered to participate in public procurement ecosystem,” Nyemba said.

She revealed that more than 16 000 businesses registered with PRAZ in 2021.

PRAZ  chief executive officer, Clever Ruswa, said the African Development Bank (AfDB) will avail US$600 000 for the next three years to  help the marginalised groups in business.

“They (AfDB) agreed to work with us so that we can train the marginalised communities that include women owned businesses, the women in the communities, the youths and even war veterans. Then they gave us a budget and also pledged to make budget provisions.

Right now,  there is a provisional allocation of about US$600 000 for the next three years,” he said.

Ruswa said the authority was working closely with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.

“We are just now trying to make sure that we don’t run parallel processes but we complement each other with the ministry and all the other players with similar training programmes,” he said.