The Audit Chamber of the Kyrgyz Republic conducted an audit regarding the effectiveness of the electronic web portal for public procurement, which operates under the Ministry of Finance of the KR. The audit covered the period from January 1 to December 31, 2024, and its results revealed a number of issues related to coordination, control, and information security.
It turned out that the procurement of goods from a single source was often carried out based on outdated document templates, negatively affecting competition and the quality of goods. Additionally, the interaction between the Department of Public Procurement, the state institution "Procurement Center," and the state enterprise "Infosystems" was found to be insufficiently effective, and the lack of IT specialists also impacted the level of services provided.
The audit identified serious deficiencies in the field of information security: user rights management was not properly organized, some employees had excessive powers, and the protection of networks and servers left much to be desired. Furthermore, systematic testing of the portal's business continuity plan and its recovery after failures was not conducted.
Moreover, the "Procurement Center" did not fulfill its obligations to monitor prices for procurements from a single source. This led to the conclusion of individual contracts without competition, creating risks of price inflation and deterioration in the quality of procured goods and services.
In response to the identified issues, the Audit Chamber proposed a number of recommendations, including the establishment of a permanent coordinating council under the Ministry of Finance, integration of the portal with other government systems, and the implementation of full electronic control at all stages of procurement. Attention was also drawn to the need for a clear procedure for interaction between procuring organizations and the "Procurement Center," increasing the number of IT specialists, and organizing cybersecurity courses.
The auditors are confident that the implementation of these proposals will improve the management of information technologies, enhance the level of security and system integration, making the public procurement process more transparent and reliable.
