The amendment to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act in 2011 provided for among other things, the establishment of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Appeals Tribunal (the Tribunal) as an independent body. The Tribunal came into being in July 2014. The Tribunal's core function is to hear applications for review of decisions of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) made to it by aggrieved bidders or aggrieved procuring and disposing entities. The Tribunal also has power to hear matters referred to it by PPDA. Part VIIA of the PPDA Act provides a framework for the delivery of the Tribunal's mandate.

The Tribunal sits as a quasi-judicial body to handle applications (appeals) brought before it. The applications so far handled touch varied procurement issues. Members of the Tribunal and the Registrar are expected to have a good understanding of the procurement laws and procedures in order to adjudicate matters before the Tribunal effectively. Achievement of the Country's and social economic development agenda as enshrined in the Vision 2040 will largely depend upon effective and efficient government service delivery based on value for money. Unquestionably, this lies on an efficient procurement function. As part of its stake in the Vision 2040, the Tribunal plays a key catalytic role in the Uganda's public procurement and disposal administrative review dispensation. The members of the Tribunal always make reasoned decisions and in an informed manner speedily to avoid case backlog and distorting the delivery of services across the country.

They also make their decisions in writing and deliver them within a period of not more than ten working days after receiving an application for review. We observe as a minimum the rule of natural justice; in that we give every person who appears before us a "right to be heard". We are also guided by the evidence before us and not intuition or rumours and; above all we are guided by the doctrines of fairness, openness and trustworthiness to those who appear before us. It is the Tribunal's resolve to deliver fair and expeditious justice to all users of its services. We value everything provided to us and those that depend on us. I am grateful to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development for providing an enabling environment for the Tribunal to start its mandate in a humble way. In the same breath, I thank those providers, the Authority and Counsels that have so far presented themselves before the Tribunal to set the pace. In related spirit, I appreciate my fellow Tribunal members for the dedication and support. I am confident that together, we will continue to steer the Uganda public procurement and disposal appeals system into an efficient mechanism inspired by our vision of being a Tribunal for equitable delivery of fair, just and expeditious justice.

I thank you all,
For God and my country.
Francis Gimara
CHAIRPERSON