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Corruption in the Telecommunications Sector in Ethiopia: A Preliminary Overview 369
However, because the ETC is a publicly owned enterprise and is acting
in a monopoly position, it should be subject to similar levels of accountability.
If it is permitted to continue to define its own procedures, they
should be consistent with the minimum standards laid down in the proclamation,
and any failure to follow the procurement procedures should
be construed as being as serious as a breach of the proclamation.
• Establish a working group to validate the appropriateness of procurement
procedures. Some ETC managers interviewed expressed the view that
the procurement procedures are too cumbersome for a high- technology
industry requiring quick methods of procurement. It is important to
understand this position and either address the problem or remove it
as a possible reason for bypassing procedures. A working group should
consider:
º whether the procedures, as written, are fit for purpose;
º if not, how the procedures can be genuinely improved in accordance
with best practice; and
º whether the procedures are being implemented in an unduly slow
and bureaucratic way, and, if so, what aspects could be addressed
through management.
• Appoint an independent assessor to monitor procurement. For all contracts
over a specified minimum value (for example, US$250,000), the ETC
should appoint an independent assessor to monitor the procurement
and execution of the contract for any signs of corruption, either by the
government; by the ETC; or by the designer, supplier, or contractor. 21
The assessor should be engaged on an intermittent part-time basis in
relation to lower-value contracts and on a full-time basis for highervalue
contracts, ensuring, so far as possible, that
º stipulated designs and specifications are fair, objective, and reasonable
and do not give an unfair advantage to any one bidder;
º the prequalification (if any) and tender processes are handled in
accordance with the ETC’s procedures and do not give an unfair
advantage to any one bidder;
º the selected designer, supplier, or contractor is properly chosen after
a fair, objective, and reasonable evaluation process;
º the execution of the contract is carried out in accordance with the
ETC’s procedures and the contract; and
º specific suspicions or allegations of corruption, including reports
received through a whistle-blower reporting mechanism, are investigated
in an appropriate manner.