The Public Procurement Appeals Authority (PPAA) has empowered contractors on the principles of fairness in public procurement processes, enabling them to claim and protect their rights whenever they believe they have not been treated fairly in the procurement processes in which they participated.
The PPAA presentation was delivered by the Head of the Legal Services Schedule at PPAA, Ms. Agnes Sayi, who represented the Executive Secretary of PPAA, Mr. James Sando, at the 2026 Consultative Meeting with Stakeholders in the Construction Industry, organized by the Contractors Registration Board (CRB) on 13–14 August 2026 in Dar es Salaam.
Ms. Sayi said that Public Procurement goes beyond the mere process of purchasing construction works, goods or services; it is a development policy instrument that drives economic growth and employment, enables local contractors to participate in Government projects, and ensures the efficient use of public funds.
“A fair environment in the public procurement process is a framework that ensures all participants are treated equally, compete under the same conditions, and that all decisions are made in accordance with the law, regulations and the provisions of the tender documents,” Ms. Sayi said.
“A fair environment in public procurement is part of the implementation of the National Development Vision 2050,” Ms. Sayi added. She further noted that the National Development Vision 2050 requires a public procurement system founded on the principles of fairness, transparency, accountability and fair competition.
“PPAA’s decisions demonstrate that a fair environment is not merely a legal matter, but also an instrument for national development. Through its jurisprudence and analysis of decisions, PPAA has continued to build a system that protects the rights of tender participants, strengthens accountability among procuring entities, and increases the confidence of the private sector to participate in development projects,” Ms. Sayi added.
Ms. Sayi urged contractors, consultants, procuring entities and other stakeholders to comply with public procurement laws and regulations in order to enable the Government to establish a procurement system that promotes competition, ensures value for money in the use of public funds, and contributes to the successful implementation of the National Development Vision 2050.
For his part, Mr. Steven Masangia, an Architect from Ebenezer Architects Ltd, said that although contractors have been implementing contracts, some provisions contained in the Special Conditions of Contract (SCC) have placed significant constraints on them, resulting in some contractors facing financial difficulties and, in some cases, going out of business.
“Contractors are not paid interest on delayed payments, which has had an adverse economic impact on us. We should be paid within the time stipulated in the contract to enable us to implement contracts effectively,” said Mr. Masangia.
Mr. Masangia also urged PPAA to continue providing education to bidders and contractors so that they do not confuse complaints/appeals against procurement decisions with disputes arising from contract implementation after the contract has been signed.
The 2026 Consultative Meeting with Stakeholders in the Construction Industry brought together approximately 1,000 stakeholders and was held under the theme: “Vision 2025: Opportunities and Responsibilities of Contractors in the Construction of Sustainable Infrastructure.”
