A Critical Review of Procurement Acts: Toward a Framework for Regulatory Reform, Transparency and Digital Transformation in Public Procurement Governance

Abstract

Public procurement constitutes a cornerstone of public financial management, representing a significant proportion of government expenditure across developed and developing economies alike. Despite decades of regulatory reform, public procurement systems continue to grapple with persistent challenges of corruption, inefficiency, limited competition, and inadequate transparency. This paper presents a systematic review of procurement acts, examining their legal and regulatory architecture, identifying critical gaps and inconsistencies, and analyzing the key issues and challenges that undermine procurement effectiveness. Drawing on comparative analysis of procurement frameworks across multiple jurisdictions— including the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, India, Australia, Kenya, Singapore, Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, and Ghana—this study synthesizes lessons from international best practices and high-profile procurement failures. The paper proposes a comprehensive reform agenda encompassing enhanced transparency mechanisms, strengthened oversight institutions, anti-corruption measures, e-procurement digitalization, performance-based contracting, and sustainable procurement practices. The findings suggest that effective procurement reform requires simultaneous attention to legal framework modernization, institutional capacity building, technological innovation, and stakeholder engagement. This paper contributes to the public procurement literature by providing an integrative framework for procurement act review that links regulatory analysis with practical reform implementation, offering actionable recommendations for policy makers, procurement practitioners, and governance scholars.