The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion has introduced a National Standard Price List for government procurement in a move authorities say is aimed at tightening control over public spending and reducing price inconsistencies across state institutions.
The policy, implemented in partnership with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, will guide the purchase of commonly used goods and services by ministries, departments, agencies, state-owned enterprises and local authorities.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said the standardised pricing framework is part of public financial management reforms designed to improve value for money in government expenditure.
According to the Treasury statement, the new system is intended to address wide price variations across public institutions when procuring identical goods and services, a challenge that auditors and governance experts have long linked to weak procurement oversight.
Public procurement represents a significant share of government expenditure in Zimbabwe, with Treasury allocations for goods and services running into billions of dollars annually across ministries and state entities. However, oversight institutions have repeatedly flagged procurement as one of the most vulnerable areas for inflated contracts, corruption and budget leakages.
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By introducing a national pricing benchmark, authorities say government entities will now have clearer reference points when evaluating supplier quotations, reducing the risk of overpricing.
“The measure has been introduced to guarantee value for money in public spending by addressing price inconsistencies across ministries, departments and agencies and enhancing control over public expenditures,” the statement said.
The NSPL also forms part of wider reforms aimed at strengthening public finance management, including the rollout of the electronic Government Procurement system, which is expected to digitise procurement processes and improve transparency in government contracting.
Treasury said the reforms are aligned with the priorities outlined in the 2026 National Budget, which emphasises increased use of locally produced goods and services in public procurement.
Under the new framework, payments to local suppliers will be made solely in the domestic currency, a policy intended to reinforce the government’s broader push to deepen use of the local monetary unit in domestic transactions.
Past audit reports have shown that procurement regulations are often circumvented through emergency purchases, contract variations and weak monitoring, raising concerns that new rules may have limited impact without stronger accountability mechanisms.
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