Infrastructure transparency is a key element in ensuring that infrastructure projects are accountable, efficient, and effective. It involves making information about the planning, financing, construction, and operation of these projects publicly available and accessible. In this blog post, we will explore 12 lessons that can help to advance infrastructure transparency initiatives. Collaboration and partnership are essential for advancing infrastructure transparency. Working with a range of stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, and international organizations, can help to …
Category: Transparency and Accountability
Do you need help explaining the concept of beneficial ownership in a way that even a kid can understand? Then, don’t look any further! In this informative and fun post, I will summarise this vital topic so that even a child can grasp it. I’ve got you covered on everything from toy boxes to money laundering. So please continue reading to learn more about hidden company owners and why it matters. What is Beneficial Ownership? Beneficial ownership is a term …
The importance of Access to Information (ATI) cannot be overstated, especially when it comes to promoting sustainable procurement and good governance in African countries. By providing citizens with the ability to request and access government-held information, ATI is like shining a light into the dark corners of the public procurement process, exposing potential wrongdoing and fostering transparency and accountability. This, in turn, can lead to more efficient and effective procurement and better outcomes for both governments and the communities they …
Key Insights On Monday, August 8, 2022, the 183-megawatt Isimba Hydropower Plant in the Kayunga district was shut down. Nankabirwa, Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, told MPs that the facility needed to be fixed because of floods. The dam was finished in 2019, and it was initially thought it would cost $350 million. However, it ended up costing $567.7 million. China Water Company was the firm contracted to build the Power Station. To increase transparency in …
Good and effective governance requires interaction between different groups, political accountability, checks and balances in operations, decentralization, and participation at the local level. Effective and successful governance is founded on three principles: Public procurement is vital to reforming governance because it affects all three pillars. Procurement processes can thus be seen as fostering good governance and reforming governance systems. What exactly is electronic government procurement (e-GP)? In its broadest sense, e-GP means using electronic technology to manage any or all …
In today’s digital world, transparency is key. Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data Standard (OC4IDS) aims to bring transparency in infrastructure investment across the globe and help countries meet their United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data Standard is an open-source data standard that can be applied to all types of infrastructure projects and hold governments accountable by helping them show what they have invested in and how it has been spent. OC4IDS also allows citizens to see where the money …
Money laundering is wreaking havoc on African economies. Money laundering is the process of disguising the source, ownership, or destination of money earned illegally or dishonestly by concealing it within a legal business contract. When dishonest people obtain money from illegal sources, they attempt to conceal the source of the funds in order to spend it freely. The amount of illegal money leaving Africa is estimated to be much greater than Africa’s annual ODA (ODA). This undermines development and poverty …
One of the most pressing issues facing Africa today is the problem of opaque and unaccountable elections. In many countries across the continent, elections are marred by fraud, violence, and irregularities. As a result, the people’s will is often not reflected in the outcome of the vote. This problem is compounded by international donors financing many African elections. These donors often have little oversight or accountability over how their money is used, resulting in a system that is both opaque …
Potential corruption in public contracting can have far-reaching effects, wasting taxpayers’ money, distorting markets and harming public trust in government. Therefore, Open Contracting is essential to ensure that public contracting processes are transparent and accountable. Technology can play a vital role in open contracting, providing the platform for open data initiatives and helping to drive innovation in the field. open data standards and platforms such as the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) provide a framework for publishing available data on public contracts, making it …
Public procurement Public procurement is purchasing goods, works and services on behalf of a public authority to benefit citizens. Problems in public procurement By its nature, a contract is a two-party agreement. The award of a public contract in secrecy usually gives rise to problems affecting its results. Some of these issues are: Shoddy works, Corruption Project delays Inflated costs Unplanned costs No Value for money Open Contracting as a solution Open Contracting is the concept that public procurement should …
We need access to information. No one can make informed decisions on issues that affect them without access to information Through ATI, press freedom and freedom of association can grow. Governments can be held accountable, and corruption can be exposed. When the United Nations was established, all countries acknowledged the fundamental value of free information. It was inscribed at the heart of Article 19 in 1948, which states that: everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference” and …
Kenya is on the frontline of fighting corruption in Africa. Recently, Kenya has been pushing for initiatives to fight corruption and one of these initiatives is Open Contracting. In December 2019, the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) invited the Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) to share its experience of working with Uganda’s government to promote Open Contracting at a workshop in Nairobi. OCP conducted the workshop in collaboration with the PPRA and Hivos East Africa. The Ksh22 million bathroom towels On my way to the Intercontinental Hotel, …
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