A delegation from the Union of Comoros visited, on Tuesday afternoon, the headquarters of the Independent Review Panel in Belmont House, Port Louis, with a view to get an understanding of the functions and operations of the Panel and share experiences and practices regarding public procurement.
The delegation comprised the Director of the Direction nationale de contrôle des marchés publics (DNCMP), Mr Kailane Salim; the Permanent Secretary of the Autorité de régulation des marchés publics, Mrs Mizelli Ali Marianne; and the Coordinator of the National Project Regional Communication Infrastructure Program – Fourth Phase (RCIP-4), Mrs Amina Abdallah, among others.
The Comorian representatives were welcomed by the Chairperson of the Independent Review Panel, Mrs Jankee Ramano; the Vice-Chairperson, Mr Hunchun Gunesh; and others Members of the Panel.
In a statement, Mr Gunesh underlined that the visit was an opportunity for bilateral exchange on public procurement processes and proceedings. He affirmed that while the Comorian delegation was able to find out more about the role of the Independent Review Panel, the Mauritian side got an insight on the way public procurement exercises were carried out in the Union. Mr Gunesh added that it was an occasion to acquire knowledge on best Comorian practices and integrate them in the local system.
For her part, Mrs Amina Abdallah highlighted the benefits of this south-south collaboration on the management of public procurement. She stressed that her country could learn from the practical experience of Mauritius regarding the e-Procurement System, set up over five years ago for the undertaking of public procurement activities digitally. Mrs Abdallah was of the view that the visit would contribute, not only, in enhancing the relations between Mauritius and the Union of Comoros, but also in promoting transparency in public procurement.
It is recalled that in Mauritius, the Public Procurement Act sets out the basic principles and procedures to be applied in, and regulate, the public procurement of goods, public works, consultant services, and other services, and for the relevant institutions for these matters. The institutions include the Central Procurement Board, which is responsible for the approval of the award of major contracts by public bodies; the Procurement Policy Office, which serves as an independent procurement policy making and monitoring body; and the Independent Review Panel, which looks into requests made by unsatisfied bidders and reviews procurement proceedings in certain specific cases.
