Patience Makwele
More than 80 public entities will have greater scope to undertake procurement under Namibia’s revised public procurement regulations, in a move the ministry of finance says will reduce administrative delays, decongest central procurement and create more opportunities for suppliers.
The amended regulations, which came into operation on 4 August 2026, bring additional entities, including subsidiaries of public enterprises and entities established after the existing regulations, into the procurement framework.
Willibarth Haraseb, deputy director of professionalisation and capacity strengthening in the procurement policy unit, said the changes would give suppliers a wider pool of public entities from which to seek business opportunities, while improving clarity, consistency and predictability in procurement processes.
A key change is the revision of procurement thresholds established when the Public Procurement Act came into operation in 2017.
According to finance deputy director of legal support and compliance in the procurement policy unit, Amalia Shikongo, the previous thresholds no longer reflected prevailing economic conditions, citing inflation, rising costs of goods, works and services, and the depreciation of the Namibia dollar.
Shikongo said the revised thresholds would enable public entities to handle a wider range of procurement activities and facilitate faster processes, reducing unnecessary administrative delays.
The changes are also intended to decongest the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN), allowing it to focus its resources and expertise on strategic, high-value and complex procurement requiring centralised oversight.
“The overall objective of adjusting this threshold is really to promote efficient allocation of procurement activity or responsibilities, while maintaining appropriate levels of accountability, transparency and value for money in public spending,” Shikongo said.
The regulations also introduce a new high-value public entity category for institutions that regularly undertake substantial procurement and have demonstrated the capacity to manage large-scale projects.
Shikongo said Namcor, TransNamib and the Roads Authority had been identified for the category based on their procurement capacity, institutional capability, governance structures and track record in managing large-scale government projects.
The new category gives these entities greater operational flexibility, but also imposes additional oversight.
Where procurement exceeds the applicable category one threshold, the entities must notify the procurement policy unit and submit individual procurement plans for approval.
They must also report to the unit within seven days after executing the procurement.
Regional councils have also been elevated from category two to category one, reflecting their expanded responsibilities following the decentralisation of functions from central government.
Haraseb said the revised categorisation was intended to align procurement responsibilities with the mandates and capacity of public entities.
The regulations followed two rounds of stakeholder consultations conducted between March and August 2024 and between September and October 2025.
The engagements involved public entities, procurement committees, procurement management units, bid evaluation committees, civil society organisations, traditional leaders and members of the public.
Haraseb said stakeholder input was incorporated into the final regulations.
The ministry will hold transitional engagement sessions for newly categorised public entities on 1 and 2 September 2026, focusing on statutory requirements, governance and the establishment of internal procurement structures.
Haraseb said the sessions would be followed by comprehensive training to help the entities implement the revised framework.
Shikongo urged public entities to comply with the regulations, conduct proper procurement planning, prioritise open and competitive bidding and use the electronic government procurement system.
She also encouraged entities to apply the government’s preferences for local suppliers, including SMEs, youth-owned and women-owned businesses.
However, she stressed that greater procurement authority comes with heightened accountability, urging public entities to uphold integrity, transparency and value for money.
Suppliers were similarly urged to participate honestly in procurement processes and comply with bidding requirements.
The ministry said the reforms are intended to create a more responsive procurement system, improve service delivery and strengthen accountability in the use of public funds.
