President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has gazetted General Notice 164B of 2024 exempting 21 public entities from compliance with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act.
The move will have heavy implications on accountability and transparency in the governance of state institutions.
The entities include the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, AFC Commercial Bank, Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe, TelOne and Kuvimba Mining House.
Apparently, economic analysts and legal experts have previously warned that the exemption of state-owned entities from public procurement law could create fertile ground for corruption, mismanagement, backdoor privatisation, and lack of parliamentary oversight.
