6,000 procurement professionals face deregistration over unpaid fees

Dodoma. More than 6,000 procurement and supply chain professionals risk deregistration after failing to clear outstanding registration fees, the Procurement and Supplies Professionals and Technicians Board (PSPTB) has warned.

The move is intended to strengthen compliance.

The Board has given the affected professionals 30 days to settle their debts, after which it will start deregistration and nationwide workplace inspections to enforce compliance.

PSPTB managing director, Mr Godfred Mbanyi, issued the warning on Monday, September 14, 2026, while speaking to journalists in Dodoma.

“We are giving them 30 days to clear their debts. After that period, we will begin the deregistration process,” said Mr Mbanyi.

He said the board had already allocated funds for inspection teams to visit institutions across the country after the deadline.

“After the 30 days, our teams will go to the regions and inspect institutions in both the public and private sectors,” he said.

The enforcement could affect procurement operations in public institutions because professionals whose registration is cancelled will lose access to public electronic procurement systems.

Mr Mbanyi urged professionals with outstanding fees to use the grace period to regularise their status rather than wait for enforcement.

“Our appeal is that professionals should obey the law without compulsion. They should clear their debts and maintain their registration,” he said.

Operating under the Ministry of Finance, PSPTB is mandated by law to register procurement and supply chain professionals working in both the public and private sectors.

The board has four registration categories: Authorised, Approved, Graduate and Technician.

According to PSPTB, more than 12,000 professionals are registered, but over 6,000 have accumulated fee arrears or other outstanding debts.

Only about 400 professionals in the Authorised category are currently fully compliant, the board said.

Annual subscription fees vary by registration category. Professionals who fail to pay on time also face penalties, including a 50 percent surcharge during the first six months after the end of the financial year.

A 100 percent penalty applies to accumulated arrears when payment is made before formal deregistration, with all outstanding fees required to be cleared alongside current annual fees.

The board is also preparing a register of compliant Authorised professionals, and the names of those who have cleared their debts will be published in the Government Gazette and on the PSPTB website.

Mr Mbanyi said professionals whose names do not appear on the register should treat the omission as a warning.

“If your name is not on the list, it means you have not complied with the financial requirements, and you are at risk of deregistration,” he said.

PSPTB has already deregistered 47 professionals over non-compliance and registration-related disputes.

The board warned that practising procurement without valid registration, including after deregistration, is an offence under the PSPTB Act and may lead to prosecution.

Mr Mbanyi also said temporary transfer to another department does not remove a professional’s registration obligations.

“Being transferred to another department does not remove your legal obligation. If you return to procurement while you are deregistered, you cannot legally practise,” he said.

He urged professionals with outstanding fees to take advantage of the 30-day window to settle their debts and remain legally registered.