The latest handbook in the Power Africa Understanding Series, Understanding Power Project Procurement, was launched in Ethiopia today at an event co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation. The handbook was developed by Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program and the African Legal Support Facility of the African Development Bank and includes contributions by the leading public and private sector experts the procurement of complex infrastructure projects. The best practices outlined in the handbook provide African governments with strategic insights into both tendered and directly negotiated power projects, with an aim to scaling up project development through predictable and competitive procurement systems. With the recent passage of landmark Public-Private Partnership (PPP) legislation in Ethiopia, the country is in a unique position to adopt and put into practice the handbook’s principles. Doing so will ensure that Ethiopia’s public procurement process for developing energy infrastructure are transparent, competitive, fair, and ensure that the Ethiopian people receive the best value from each project. The launch of the new handbook is just the first in a series of technical assistance programs planned by Power Africa and the Commercial Law Development Program to support Ethiopia’s plan to accelerate the pace of private investment in the critical infrastructure.
###
