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Training on Public Procurement Monitoring in Timor-Leste



Dili (Timor-Leste), 6 March 2015 - Public procurement has been identified as the government activity most vulnerable to corruption. As a major interface between the public and the private sectors, public procurement provides multiple opportunities for both public and private actors to divert public funds for private gain. The vulnerability to corruption is exacerbated by the sheer volume involved in public procurement which is estimated to account for 15-30 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in many countries. Studies suggest that an average of 10-25 percent of a public contract's value may be lost to corruption resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars being lost every year.

Given the considerable negative impact of corruption in public procurement, it is vital to have proper prevention mechanisms in place. This is especially true for a country like Timor-Leste where the public sector plays a prominent role with government expenditures accounting for the majority of domestic production.

With financial support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, UNODC assists Timor-Leste in its fight against corruption including the prevention of corruption in public procurement. From 25-27 February 2015 UNODC conducted a training on civil society monitoring of public procurement in Dili with the objective of strengthening accountability mechanisms in the area of public procurement. The training involved 25 participants including 20 representatives from eight different civil society organisations and 5 participants from the Commission on Anti-Corruption.

In questionnaires and discussions, participants acknowledged the importance of combating corruption in public procurement and pointed to a number of challenges in relation to the monitoring of public procurement processes including a lack of transparency and access to information. Subsequently, the training identified a number of approaches to overcome monitoring challenges and reinforce accountability mechanisms. The participants acknowleged the need for collective action as well as constructive dialogue between civil society and the Government on adressing compliance gaps with national and international legislation on public procurement including the legally binding provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

UNODC will continue to assist the Government of Timor-Leste and other national anti-corruption stakeholders in this area to ensure that public funds are managed for the benefit of the common good and only go to the firms which offer the best value for money.