Saudis take steps to prevent public-sector contracts crimes, says anti-corruption chief

• UN meeting hears Kingdom developed an electronic portal for government procurement to increase transparency, ensure more efficient public spending and reduce risk of corruption

RIYADH: Saudi authorities are working on several initiatives to prevent illegal activity in government procurement, the president of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, also known as Nazaha, said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the UN in Vienna during an international meeting of government officials to discuss prevention of corruption, Mazin Al-Kahmous said the Kingdom has established a unified electronic portal for government procurement, called Etimad, with the aim of increasing transparency in government procurement activities, improving the efficiency of public spending, and reducing opportunities for corruption at all stages of public tenders.

He highlighted what he described as ongoing and fruitful cooperation between Nazaha and the Ministry of Finance to apply safeguards within Etimad for activities that carry a high risk of corruption, to help reduce the risk of collusion or fraud among businesses applying for government tenders.

Al-Kahmous also welcomed the support of authorities in the Kingdom for a collaboration between Nazaha and the UN Development Program on the launch of a global initiative to measure corruption and promote integrity in public procurement.