John Mpunga, an official from RPPA, told local media that the 105 companies were sanctioned under the 2018 and 2022 public procurement laws.

According to data published on the transparency portal, the bans range from one to seven years, depending on the severity of the offenses.

The affected companies failed to fulfill contractual obligations, implemented projects in ways that deviated from agreed terms, submitted false information, or acted as a front for previously blacklisted entities.

The public procurement law stipulates a seven-year ban for companies that provide false information about their identity, documentation, or capabilities, violate procurement rules in pursuit of a contract, or use fraudulent contracts to obtain loans from banks.

Sanctions also apply to companies that fail to pay workers or suppliers during contract execution, change their registered address without notifying the contracting authority, employ experts whose work is found to be flawed, or collude with public officials in the preparation of tenders or bidding documentation.

Article 145 of the 2022 Public Procurement Law states, “A contractor who implements a contract in a way that deviates from agreed terms, fails to meet quality standards, or neglects obligations without justifiable cause, commits a violation.”

The law imposes a one-year exclusion from tenders and an administrative fine equal to 5% of the contract’s value, in addition to the termination of the contract.

Although RPPA does not pursue legal action itself, it forwards cases involving criminal offenses to the prosecution for follow-up.

Mpunga noted that excluding non-compliant companies from future tenders has significantly improved the overall execution of public contracts compared to previous years.

The Rwanda Public Procurement Authority (RPPA) has announced that 105 companies have been barred from bidding for government tenders over the past seven years.