Definition, Process, and Size of Public Procurement in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Public procurement can be a somewhat vague concept encompassing a number of grey areas within the public finance sector. This conceptual difficulty also reflects severe problems of measurement. This chapter provides some clarification on the process of public procurement and indications about the magnitude of the budgets at stake in the countries of our sample. It first defines and discusses public procurement and its place in the broader public finance system. This is followed by an explanation of how public procurement works and what processes are used. Finally, the chapter proposes an approximation of the size of public procurement in sub-Saharan Africa, thus providing indications that help understanding the significance of these expenditures in the GDP of the countries under review at the time reforms were initiated.