Maputo, Sept. 23, 2026 (Lusa) - The authorities announced on Wednesday that Mozambique's State Procurement Centre (CAE) will now have a single external auditor responsible for annual audits and ad hoc inspections when the institution's activities warrant them, strengthening internal oversight.
This oversight mechanism complements the monitoring carried out by the Administrative Court and the State Inspectorate-General and forms part of the implementation of the new body, established in June to centralise, coordinate and optimise procurement processes for public works, goods and services.
«The decree provides for a single inspector, who is an external body (…) to oversee the Central,» said the CAE's deputy director-general, Mariano Miguel, on the sidelines of a briefing session on public procurement reform.
When asked about the frequency of the audits, he explained that the external audit will be carried out annually, while remaining open to additional audits whenever justified, taking into account the nature of the Central's activities.
«Annually, yes. And whenever necessary,» stated Mariano José Miguel, adding that the involvement of an external body was deemed necessary due to the critical nature of the institution's activities.
The CAE was established by Decree No. 22/2026 of 8 June 2026 as a public body, with the remit to centralise, coordinate, optimise, manage and carry out procurement processes for public works contracts, the supply of goods and the provision of services to the State.
The government announced the creation of the body in May to improve public procurement planning, centralise information on market prices, generate economies of scale and strengthen transparency and control over public expenditure.
Mariano José Miguel also linked oversight to enhancing the transparency of procurement processes, in an area where he considered compliance with legal standards essential to promote integrity.
«Acts of corruption occur when the law is not observed,» he stated, arguing that the Central Agency must ensure compliance with the technical specifications and regulations applicable to public procurement.
The CAE is also set to benefit from the future electronic public procurement platform, which will enable stakeholders to monitor the various stages of the processes, from launch to award and execution, thereby increasing traceability and access to information.
«It should also bring greater transparency; therefore, it should, first and foremost, enable all stakeholders to monitor the various stages of the procurement process – from launch through to award and execution,» said Mariano José Miguel.
The implementation of the CAE follows the revision of the Regulation on the Procurement of Public Works Contracts, the Supply of Goods and the Provision of Services, through Decree No. 46/2026 of 5 August 2026, which introduced mechanisms such as framework agreements, a dynamic purchasing system and collaborative procurement.
The new model maintains the responsibilities of the managing units and procurement executors, who remain in charge of identifying and planning needs, preparing requirements and specifications, and monitoring contract execution, while the CAE takes on centralised procurement functions.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Albertina Fruquia, stated that the current phase involves raising awareness, providing clarification and preparing institutions for the effective implementation of centralised procurement, emphasising the need for coordination between the CAE and the managing and implementing units.
«We therefore have very distinct but complementary responsibilities,» she said.
According to Mariano José Miguel, the CAE will continue organising sessions with public institutions and the private sector, which is regarded as a key player in the public procurement system.
EYMZ/ADB // ADB.
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