The Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC) has called for transparency in government contracts so that more women should have access to information about the contracts and bid for them.
Executive Director Emma Kaliya said this during the opening of two days training on open contracting which was organised by Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) in Mponela.
In an interview with Malawi24, Kaliya pointed out lack of access to information and capacity building as some of the hindrances contributing on the same since women are the least knowledgeable group about the processes regarding contracts.
“Most women are not aware of the processes that are happening in open contracts. Secondly, these are big contracts that require big capacity in terms of resources as such women need to be assisted to get such opportunities but it doesn’t usually happen, you see that women are left on the lower level where they are dealing with micro instead of dealing with macro contracts,” she explained.
She then called for transparency saying government should provide information by coming out clearly on the available contracts which people need to compete on.
On his part, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) Programmes Manager, Michael Kaiyatsa said politicians are more powerful in all aspects of the country and this affects the awarding of contracts especially in construction.
He added that some contracts are given to ghost companies which are beneficiaries of the political influence and the project money goes in vain
He therefore called upon the authorities to develop a portal where procurement information is to be distributed.
The workshop brought together several organizations such as Anti-Corruption Bureaus (ACB), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), media houses and the public procurement and disposal of assets authority.
