APPLE-C

Apple-C (Apply Public Procurement Law to End Corruption) is a program designed to address irregularities and corruption in public contracts.

In 2022, the focus of Apple-C was on applying the new public procurement law that became effective as of July 2022 and transformed the Tender Board into a Public Procurement Authority (PPA), whose goal is to impose oversight, governance, auditing, and transparency on the public procurement process. LIMS recommended: (1) Apply the new Public Procurement Law as some laws in Lebanon have not been applied 20 years after their adoption as ministers prefer to avoid being subject to oversight. (2) Ensure the independence of the PPA as the appointment of the members of the PPA are subject to a flagrant conflict of interest. (3) Amend the law to give more power to the PPA especially that the new law transferred the power of conducting the tender from the public procurement authority to the purchasing body (the ministry, public administration, etc.), expanding their powers, instead of balancing them.

In 2023, Apple-C started to scrutinize every government contract, meticulously uncovering irregularities and potential corruption. Noteworthy enhancements over previous practices are also highlighted within these reports. Furthermore, Appe-C provides strategic solutions to address identified shortcomings, shedding light on a prevailing issue in Lebanese public contracts – a dearth of competition, often perpetuated by ministers tailoring tender books to favor specific crony companies, leading to an alarming trend of single-bidder outcomes.