Editor’s Note
This audit of public contracts in Côte d’Ivoire reveals a systemic failure in procurement oversight, with 95% of sampled direct awards lacking valid justification. The findings underscore a critical need for transparency and stricter adherence to competitive bidding regulations to ensure public funds are used responsibly.
An audit of 60 public contracts awarded between 2011 and 2013 shows that in 95% of cases, the reasons given to justify awarding these contracts through direct negotiation (“de gré à gré”) are not valid under the regulations in force in Côte d’Ivoire.
The majority of direct-award contracts in Côte d’Ivoire do not comply with legislation and should have been subject to a public tender. These are the results of the audit conducted by the National Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Autorité nationale de régulation des marchés publics, ANRMP), made public by its president, Coulibaly Non Karna, on Thursday, September 18. From the examination of 60 contracts concluded between 2011 and 2013 by six ministries, it emerges that in 95% of cases, the reasons given to justify…