Chief Executive Officers and heads of public procurement regulatory authorities from the East African Community Partner States joined the Guest of Honour, Hon. Pieng Deng Kuol, Minister of East African Community Affairs, during the closing ceremony of the 17th East African Procurement Forum in Juba on 14 May 2026.

In his closing remarks, the Guest of Honour commended the regional procurement leaders, delegates, speakers and development partners for their active participation and valuable contributions to the Forum. He emphasised that transparent, accountable and effective public procurement systems are essential for good governance, responsible management of public resources, delivery of public services and sustainable economic development across the region.

The procurement regulatory leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continued regional cooperation and implementation of the resolutions adopted by the Forum. These commitments include strengthening beneficial ownership disclosure, accelerating electronic government procurement, advancing procurement professionalisation, promoting sustainable procurement and enhancing integrity and accountability in public procurement.
The closing ceremony marked the successful conclusion of four days of technical discussions, exchange of national experiences and development of common approaches to procurement reform. It also reinforced the important role of procurement regulatory authorities in translating the Forum’s resolutions into practical reforms within their respective Partner States.

The event concluded with a shared commitment to maintain regional collaboration, monitor implementation of the agreed actions and report progress at the next East African Procurement Forum.