The country’s procurement processes have become a fertile ground for rent-seeking and political interference, undermining value for money in government spending.
The IMF’s 20-year review of the country’s procurement contracts, indicates that companies seeking major government contracts often make large ‘side payments’ running into millions of dollars to influence key decision-makers.
The report notes that this entrenched practice has given rise to other forms of corruption, such as the sale of contracts to third parties and fraudulent judgement debt settlements.