The Ministry of Public Contracts has launched activities to schedule contracts to be financed by the 2016 Public Investment Budget. The exercise kick-started in Yaounde on December 14, 2015 with the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Public Contracts, Abba Sadou, disclosing that all is being done to publish tenders in January 2016 with all contracts expected to be signed by April. Minister Abba Sadou said his team was working towards enabling the execution of public contracts during eight months.

The meetings are holding on the theme; “Challenge: Launch of Bids as from 1 January 2016, Signing of all Relevant Contracts Latest 30 April 2016: Through the Commitment Expected of all Stakeholders of the System.” Similar gatherings are expected to open in Regional headquarters with Governors to chair. The early scheduling of contracts seeks to surmount challenges that range from lateness in the launch of tenders to the non-respect of contract award procedures. The lack of visibility with regard to contract award and the non-mastery of projects have also been pointed out. Minister Abba Sadou decried the fact that only a quarter of programmed contracts were received at the level of Central Tenders Boards as at August 201.

Telling Figures For 2015

The Minister revealed that 7,785 contracts for a cumulated amount of FCFA 1,496 billion were programmed. As at November 30, 2015, the Central Tenders Boards received 270 as against 430 tender files that were programmed. Over 99 per cent of tender files at the level of devolved services were forwarded with activities recording 100 per cent success. Contracts notified stand at 98 per cent with contracts executed at 80 per cent and already 60 per cent received. At the central level, over 95 per cent of tenders were launched with 90 per cent already signed and 30 per cent executed and received. The ministry meted out sanctions to two persons and 47 enterprises in 2015 for malpractices. Procedures are equally underway against 140 companies for default or for abandoning construction sites. The implementation of the road map of the Ministry during 2013-2015 is said to have enabled the State to make budgetary savings of more than FCFA 300 billion.

The Ministry of Public Contracts is banging on the operationalisation of the technical platform of the online procurement system dubbed the Cameroon Online E-procurement system, (COLEPS) to speed up the award and execution of 2016 public investment contracts. Over 736 project owners and delegated project owners, tender boards and private enterprises involved in public procurement have been trained on the use of the Korean innovation. Contractors are expected to henceforth compete for the award of contracts through a web portal from where they will monitor the process that goes right to the award of contracts and execution.