The Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ZIMPOST that will see tender bidders across the country utilize the latter’s resource infrastructure for submission of documents in a move meant to decentralize public procurement systems.
Traditionally, suppliers of various goods and services would travel to Harare where PRAZ offices are located to submit of documents.
The MOU will hence enable suppliers to use ZIMPOST offices and Community Information Centre (CICs) to get onto the internet and access PRAZ services through the PRAZ portal initially.
“The collaboration between PRAZ and ZIMPOST will bridge the ICT gaps that most bidders face as a challenge in terms of submitting their bids to PEs who are mostly centralized in towns and yet some of its clients are remotely located,” said PRAZ chief executive officer, Clever Ruswa.
PRAZ recently set up an e-learning portal, a transformational shift towards digitalizing public procurement which has been predominantly paper-based.
The system was creating an uneven playing field for suppliers of goods and services between those in major cities and those in remote centers.
ZIMPOST boasts of a wide infrastructural presence across the country through its post offices, Community Information Centres (CICs) and Containerized Village Information Centres (CVIC).
“The PRAZ-Zimpost partnership is an innovative enabler for the roll-out of E-Government Services, especially the Online and Physical Bidder Registrations across the country, including Remote Rural Areas and Peri-Urban Areas,” said Zimpost acting Post Master General, Dr Isaac Muchokomori.
He also said the post office will further assist all other government departments to comply with their mandates without necessarily duplicating infrastructural investments by utilizing the already existing Expansive Postal Network which is both phygitally (physical and digital) present.
