Abidjan, June 24, 2026 (AIP) – The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ARCOP) has excluded nearly 180 companies from any activity related to public procurement for a period of two years, due to irregularities found in the procedures for awarding and executing public contracts, announced its Secretary General, Oumar Ouattara.
Speaking on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Abidjan-Plateau, during the weekly forum “All You Need to Know About” of the Government Information and Communication Center (CICG), Mr. Ouattara indicated that the institution has issued nearly 2,000 decisions as part of its mission to control and regulate public procurement.
According to him, these sanctions are part of the desire to guarantee integrity, transparency and fairness in the management of public markets, a sector which represents about 25% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Ivory Coast.
The Secretary General of ARCOP also announced that nearly 21,000 public contracts have been audited by the institution in order to assess the compliance of procedures and strengthen the performance of the national procurement system.
As part of the professionalization of actors, ARCOP, formerly the National Authority for the Regulation of Public Procurement (ANRMP), has trained nearly 14,000 stakeholders in the rules and procedures of public procurement.
To promote better access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to opportunities offered by public procurement, the institution has reduced the ceiling for bid guarantees from 3% to 1.5% of the value of the contracts concerned.
Oumar Ouattara also emphasized that the digitization of procedures represents a major step forward in the fight against irregular practices. Since 2025, bids for tenders have been submitted exclusively electronically, thus contributing to greater transparency and traceability in operations.
He noted that 30% of public contracts are reserved for SMEs, in accordance with the government policy aimed at supporting the development of the national private sector.
For any information or complaint relating to public procurement, users can contact ARCOP via its toll-free number, 800 00 100.
This version emphasizes the role of ARCOP in cleaning up public procurement procedures, while also highlighting the reforms undertaken to strengthen transparency and access for SMEs to public procurement.
(AIP)
