By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
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DJIBOUTI, 21 October 2026 — The government of Djibouti will move all public procurement procedures to a digital system, interim Prime Minister Ali Hassan Bahdon said on Wednesday.
Bahdon, opening the National Public Procurement Conference, said the shift was part of a broader reform aimed at increasing transparency and giving young people and small businesses greater opportunities.
“There is no development without trust, and no trust without transparency,” he said.
The conference was attended by ministers, the governor of the central bank, the president of the Chamber of Commerce and representatives of the private sector, banks and civil society.
Bahdon said public procurement was “not just an administrative procedure,” but a tool for development. He warned that a poorly planned tender delays services to citizens, a non-competitive tender raises costs for the state and opaque tenders undermine trust.
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As part of the digital shift, the government plans to launch an official bulletin announcing public tenders and an open data portal giving the public access to procurement information. Purchases below the tender threshold will also be monitored and an annual report on the use of public resources will be published.
Bahdon said the average tendering period fell from 35 days in 2021 to 26 days in 2023. In 2024, more than 71% of public contracts were awarded to Djiboutian companies. The Dispute Resolution Committee is now operational and a general certificate has been introduced to verify that applicants meet their tax and social obligations.
He described the results as “encouraging, but insufficient.”
The government also announced measures including contracts reserved for small businesses, requirements adapted to small firms, support for first-time applicants and shorter payment deadlines. A new draft decree on bank guarantees will soon be submitted to the government.