Mali has launched a bold new initiative aimed at strengthening the integrity and professionalism of its public procurement system, with a high-level seminar taking place from 16 to 20 June 2025 in the capital, Bamako.
Organised jointly by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ARMDS), the forum marks a significant step toward modernising how the state manages its vast public contracts portfolio.
The event brings together senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Cabinet, the Ministry of Defence, the Government’s General Secretariat, and administrative and financial directors. Its primary objective is to deepen expertise in all phases of public procurement—ranging from contract award and execution to dispute resolution and oversight.
“ARMDS is committed to ensuring full compliance with community standards and advancing transparency across every layer of the procurement system,” said an official from the regulatory authority.
Created in 2008, ARMDS plays a pivotal role in the governance of public procurement in Mali.
Its mandate includes training, policy formulation, pre- and post-contract oversight, non-judicial appeals, and regional cooperation under the umbrella of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
The authority has already made significant national outreach efforts—in 2021, it held eight training sessions in the Kayes region alone, reaching 166 participants from both public and private sectors.
With public contracts representing a massive financial stake—5,229 contracts worth 501.7 billion CFA francs were recorded in 2020—the push for transparency and efficiency is more critical than ever.
The seminar also focuses on the evolving legal framework, evaluation procedures, and the strategic rollout of Mali’s digital procurement portal, designed to offer real-time monitoring and open access to procurement information.
“The digital shift is about replacing outdated opaque practices with traceable, inclusive, and efficient systems,” a government official stated during the session.
Despite its progress, ARMDS has faced institutional hurdles.
In July 2024, the absence of a formally appointed executive secretary triggered concerns over the legal validity of certain decisions.
The current seminar, however, seeks to reaffirm the institution’s authority and operational effectiveness.
Fully aligned with UEMOA’s 2005 directives and boasting an 86% reform implementation rate as of 2021, ARMDS remains central to Mali’s ambitions of establishing ethical and transparent governance in public spending.
Looking ahead, the authority is focused on expanding the use of its electronic portal, ensuring consistent publication of tenders, applying the MAPS (Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems) evaluation tool, and bolstering regional cooperation.
As Mali refines its procurement framework, the initiative offers a replicable model for other nations seeking to combine regulatory rigor with digital innovation.
