THE Public Procurement Appeals Authority (PPAA) has announced an ambitious plan to expand its educational outreach to procurement stakeholders and bidders nationwide.

James Sando, PPAA Executive Secretary, revealed the initiative yesterday while addressing journalists at the 16th East African Public Procurement Forum.

Sando explained that the authority's strategy for the 2024/25 financial year aims to target four regions that have yet to receive training on how to submit appeals if they are dissatisfied with the procurement process.

"Our goal is to reach bidders in the Central Region, Northern Region, Southern Highlands Region and Southern Region which have not yet been covered. By visiting these areas, we will enhance our outreach and support to more bidders," he said.

Florida Mapunda, PPAA Deputy Executive Secretary, emphasized the advantages of introducing an electronic module for submitting appeals and complaints. This new system is expected to reduce both costs and processing time.

"This module will significantly lower costs and save time compared to the previous procedure which required bidders to submit complaints physically at the authority offices," she said. She also noted that the module will improve transparency.

The new electronic system will enable bidders to track the progress of their appeals in real-time, from submission through to the final ruling. This feature aims to foster transparency and accountability, boosting confidence in the fairness of the public procurement process.

The Public Procurement Stakeholders Forum which drew over 1,500 participants from within and outside Tanzania focused on the theme ‘Digitalization for Sustainable Public Procurement’.