By Samuel Ouma
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency and the Government of Botswana have renewed a longstanding partnership to develop high-quality infrastructure for the people of Botswana.
In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on September 26, 2022, USTDA and Botswana’s Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) agreed to cooperate on the delivery of training and technical assistance to the country’s public procurement officials under USTDA’s Global Procurement Initiative: Understanding Best Value.
USTDA also committed grant funding for technical assistance to support PPRA’s implementation of new national public procurement regulations designed to strengthen the quality of the country’s infrastructure.
“I am so proud that Botswana was the first country to partner with USTDA under our Global Procurement Initiative – a partnership based on our shared belief that high-quality infrastructure is foundational to economic growth,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director.
“Botswana’s commitment to public procurement reform and investment decisions based on best value sets an example for Africa and emerging economies worldwide.”
USTDA’s technical assistance grant will deliver strategic and technical procurement assistance to help the PPRA implement the Public Procurement Act, including establishing rules, regulations, training requirements, and implementation guidance to promote skills development, foster value-based procurement modernization, and strengthen procurement professionalization.
The assistance will also help the PPRA establish auditing best practices as it takes on its new role as an oversight body.
PPRA Acting Chief Executive Officer, Tumelo Motsumi, said: “Promoting best value procurement through strategic and meaningful partnerships in public investment management is a true USTDA and PPRA success story.”
Amanda S. Jacobsen, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone, Botswana, added: “The United States is proud to partner with the Government of Botswana and the Public Procurement Regulatory Agency to advance Botswana’s economic diversification through good and effective governance, for which Botswana is world-renowned.”
Launched in 2013, USTDA’s Global Procurement Initiative assists public officials in emerging economies in understanding better the total cost of ownership of goods and services for infrastructure projects. The initiative currently includes 15 partner countries.
