STRUCTURAL REFORMS: ARMP SUPPORTS CONTRACTING AUTHORITIES IN POINTE-NOIRE AND KOUILOU FOR THE RESTRUCTURING OF THEIR PUBLIC PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT CELLS (CGMP)

The quality of public expenditure depends, among other things, on the ability of contracting authorities to plan their needs, program their purchases, prepare consultation files, conduct award procedures in compliance with applicable rules, and ensure rigorous monitoring of contract execution.

Within this framework, Public Procurement Management Cells (CGMP) occupy a central position. They constitute an organizational arrangement enabling contracting authorities to have a permanent capacity to manage public procurement procedures.

Thus, to increase the effectiveness of this public procurement management, by improving the legal environment and business climate in the Republic of Congo, the Government made, between 2022 and 2023, some adjustments to the public procurement code and its implementing texts. Among these texts is Decree No. 2022-1854 of 12 October 2022 amending and supplementing Decree No. 2009-161 of 20 May 2009 on the organization and operation of the Public Procurement Management Cell (CGMP).

This decree introduced innovations in the organization and operation of the CGMP by specifying the place of the contracting authority in public procurement management, the profile of the Person Responsible for Public Procurement (PRMP) and other members, their method of appointment, and the formalization of the Permanent Secretariat.

With the aim of aligning the CGMPs with this reform, the General Directorate of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ARMP) proposed to support contracting authorities throughout the national territory in carrying out their restructuring.

It is in this perspective that, by mission order No. 003/PM/ARMP/CR/DG of 25 September 2026, signed by the Director General of ARMP, Mrs. OBALA NGAVOUNI Edna Anaêlle, the ARMP delegation traveled to Pointe-Noire and Kouilou, from 28 September to 02 October last, to support contracting authorities in setting up their public procurement management cells.

The objective of this mission is to contribute to achieving results relating to the percentage of public contracts (weighted by contract value) awarded through competitive processes and the percentage (in number) of public contracts signed during the initial tender validity period.

This mission is part of a global approach to improving the performance of the national public procurement award and execution system. It aims in particular to strengthen the organizational and operational capacities of contracting authorities, clarify the responsibilities of the various stakeholders in the public procurement process, and improve the functioning of the CGMPs.

After preparatory work and actions undertaken in Brazzaville and Kinkala, the mission was extended to Pointe-Noire and Kouilou, in order to take into account the specificities of these two departments.

In total, seventeen (17) contracting authorities were identified and visited, namely: the Kouilou Departmental Council (CDK); the Pointe-Noire Departmental and Municipal Council (CDMPN); the Congo Ocean Railway (CFCO); the Pointe-Noire Autonomous Port (PAPN); the National Reforestation Service (SNR); the Loandjili General Hospital (HGL); the NGOYO General Hospital (HGN); the Adoph Cicé General Hospital (HGAC); the Congolese Maritime Affairs Agency (DGEMAR); the Pointe-Noire Chamber of Commerce (CCPN); the Congo Power Plant (CEC); the Congolese Refining Company (CORAF); the Single Window for Cross-Border Operations (GUOT); the Forest Product Export Control Service (SCPFE); the Congolese Shippers Council (CCC); the Non-Timber Forest Products Valorization Center (CVPFNL); the Congolese Maritime Transport Company (SOCOTRAM);

For five (5) days, the ARMP delegation, led by the Director General, had fruitful discussions with these contracting authorities.

As a prelude to the discussions, the delegation first clarified to the heads of the visited structures that this was not an audit or inspection mission, but rather a pedagogical action. This clarification helped enrich the discussions so that our mission could be carried out calmly.

This was followed by a presentation of the innovations introduced by the aforementioned decree in the organization and operation of the CGMP, as well as the procedure and tools for doing so. This consequently implies bringing their CGMPs into compliance with the prescriptions of this new text, notably by appointing the Person Responsible for Public Procurement (PRMP), the procurement award commission, the ad hoc commission, and the permanent secretariat.

Particular emphasis was placed on the role and place of the Person Responsible for Public Procurement (PRMP) within the CGMP. Indeed, within the meaning of Article 4.1 of the aforementioned decree, the Person Responsible for Public Procurement is responsible for conducting the award and execution procedure for the public contract or public service delegation. She chairs the public procurement award commission and is responsible for the management and proper functioning of the permanent secretariat.

It emerges from this mission that 09 contracting authorities do not have a CGMP. After the presentation of the text, the procedure, and the teaching tools, these contracting authorities undertook to set up their CGMPs in accordance with the regulations in force. Also, the 08 contracting authorities that did not have non-compliant CGMPs were invited to comply with the regulations in force. Finally, all the contracting authorities visited agreed to set up their CGMPs in accordance with the regulations in force.

After this restructuring phase, there will follow that of capacity building for the new members appointed to the various CGMP bodies, with the obvious aim of making the national public procurement award and execution system more efficient and effective.

Chief of Technical Support Service,

Claver NGAMBOU MBON