URSB Attributes Audit Gaps to Funding Shortfalls and E-Procurement Hurdles

The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has opened up about compliance gaps highlighted in recent audit reports, pointing to technical challenges within the national electronic procurement framework and limited financial resources.

Appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), Acting Registrar General Mustapher Ntale addressed the concerns raised by the Auditor General. He explained that the Electronic Government Procurement (EGP) system currently lacks the capacity to record procurement reservations designated for special interest groups.

Due to this limitation, URSB has had to rely on separate manual procurement plans. Ntale noted that the bureau is actively engaging the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to migrate to an upgraded version of the EGP system to streamline operations and minimize disruptions.

The audit had also flagged issues regarding low bidder participation and instances where open bidding processes attracted only a single response. In response, Ntale assured lawmakers that the bureau has reviewed these files and intends to proactively invite a broader range of firms to future bidding opportunities to foster healthy competition.

Addressing internal staffing and training gaps within the Procurement and Disposal Unit, Ntale reported that new personnel have been brought on board and refresher training on the EGP system is underway. He clarified that procurements handled outside the electronic platform accounted for a marginal two percent of the bureau’s transactions, driven strictly by system failures.

Furthermore, the bureau acknowledged criticisms regarding uninsured non-current assets, particularly its vehicle fleet. Ntale attributed this oversight to budgetary constraints but committed to prioritizing comprehensive insurance coverage in the upcoming financial year’s budget framework.

Read more details on this story from Nile Post.