By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Malawi’s Department of
eGovernment, in collaboration with the Public Private Partnership Commission
(PPPC), has begun gathering requirements for the development of an Electronic
Auctions Platform (EAP) aimed at improving transparency and efficiency in competitive
digital infrastructure transactions.
The requirement-gathering
sessions are being held in Blantyre and bring together representatives from
government ministries, departments and agencies, including the National
Registration Bureau and the Companies, Registrations and Intellectual Property
Centre, as well as technology contractor CSM Tech.
The EAP is being developed
under the Commercial Transaction Manual (CTM), which was prepared as part of
the Digital Malawi Acceleration Project (DMAP). The manual provides a
structured framework for conducting commercial transactions under the project’s
digital infrastructure component.
The component focuses on
expanding affordable broadband and secure data hosting, including plans to
connect approximately 2,000 schools and 500 government sites, alongside the
construction of up to 100 cellular towers in underserved and rural areas.
Once operational, the EAP
will provide a secure web-based environment for conducting competitive auctions
digitally and in real time. The system is expected to replace paper-based and
semi-manual processes with electronic bid submission, automated bid ranking,
bidder anonymity and digital publication of auction results.
The platform is also
expected to strengthen transparency, accountability and auditability in
competitive auctions while improving price discovery and promoting fair
competition in the procurement of high-value digital infrastructure.
The ongoing consultations
are intended to ensure that the platform’s design reflects the operational
requirements of participating government institutions and supports the broader
objectives of the Digital Malawi Acceleration Project.
