Public procurement is one of the most powerful levers governments have to strengthen governance, reduce corruption, and build public trust. This becomes especially clear when viewed through the lens of SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, which calls on countries to reduce corruption (16.5), build accountable institutions (16.6), ensure inclusive decision‑making (16.7), and guarantee public access to information (16.10).
The Algerian case study on Electronic Government Procurement (E‑GP) offers a compelling real‑world example of how procurement reform can advance these targets. Algeria’s 2015 Public Procurement Code mandated the creation of the Portail des Marchés Publics (PMP), a centralized digital platform for publishing tenders, awards, and procurement documents.
SDG 16 includes several targets directly shaped by public procurement:
16.5 — Reduce corruption and bribery
16.6 — Build effective, accountable, and transparent institutions
16.7 — Ensure inclusive, participatory, and representative decision‑making
16.10 — Ensure public access to information
16. A — Strengthen institutions to prevent violence, crime, and corruption
This article breaks down how this reform contributes to each of these targets and then explores the additional SDGs strengthened by Algeria’s digital procurement transformation.
1. SDG 16.5 — Reducing Corruption and Bribery
Procurement is historically one of the most corruption‑prone government functions. Digitalization reduces opportunities for bribery by replacing discretion with automation.
Algeria’s E‑GP system automates the pre‑award phase — e‑noticing, e‑submission, e‑evaluation —, and eliminates informal interactions where petty corruption thrives. Additionally, standardized digital workflows reduce the ability to manipulate documents or exclude bidders, which results in:
Fewer touchpoints for bribery
Reduced discretion
Lower risk of “lost files,” hidden criteria, or selective communication
Public procurement strengthens institutional accountability when processes are transparent, standardized, and digitally traceable. Algeria’s E‑GP system advances this target by mandating the publication of all tender notices, technical specifications, and award decisions on the PMP. This creates a permanent digital record of every action in the procurement cycle.
The result is:
Greater transparency through open publication of procurement information
Clearer accountability because decisions are digitally logged and reviewable
Reduced discretion due to standardized templates and procedures
Enhanced oversight through permanent audit trails
Procurement contributes to SDG 16.7 by expanding access to economic opportunities and ensuring equal treatment of all suppliers. Algeria’s E‑GP system centralizes all tenders online, removing geographic and administrative barriers that previously limited participation.
This leads to:
More inclusive supplier participation, especially for SMEs and regional firms
Equal treatment of bidders through standardized digital submissions
Fairer competition, as all suppliers receive the same information at the same time
More representative decision‑making, reflecting a broader economic base
Public procurement is one of the most powerful channels for government transparency. Algeria’s PMP serves as the official, centralized source of procurement information, making key documents accessible to citizens, journalists, civil society, and researchers.
This ensures:
Open access to tender notices, award decisions, and signed contracts
Greater public scrutiny of government spending
Improved civic oversight, as stakeholders can track procurement outcomes
Reduced secrecy, limiting opportunities for hidden manipulation
Beyond transparency, procurement systems can actively prevent corruption when supported by advanced technologies. The Algerian case study highlights the need for AI, machine learning, and blockchain to detect and deter sophisticated fraud schemes.
These technologies enable:
Collusion detection through pattern analysis
Identification of price anomalies and suspicious bidding behavior
Tamper‑proof audit trails through blockchain
Automated compliance via smart contracts that reduce human discretion