Prof Geo Quinot discusses the governance structure proposed in South Africa's Public Procurement Bill that has been tabled in parliament 30 June 2023.
The 2020 version of South Africa's draft public procurement bill provided for the "4. (1) There is hereby established a Public Procurement Regulator within the National Treasury." (section 4).
The 2023 version has changed this back to and "office". "4. (1) There is hereby established a Public Procurement Office within the National Treasury."
The "regulator" seemed to provide an opportunity for the establishment of an independent body much like many of the independent regulators that exist in South Africa. The debate that followed concerned the regulator's positioning, many called for it to be outside of Treasury, funded and governed along the lines of other regulators.
Does reverting back to an "office" mean that the OCPO status quo will remain and that the bill will not deliver the significant change that many are hoping for?
