Botswana's government departments have been challenged to improve transparency in dealings with the private sector through clear tender documents.

"We need to avoid conflict of interest and undue influence and act ethically and professionally at all times," said Bridget Poppy John, Executive Chairperson of Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) on Tuesday in Gaborone, capital of Botswana.

PPADB's calls come fresh on the heels of the recently developed Code of Ethics for procurement practitioners, whose target is for them to refrain from undesirable conduct, since procurement is prone to corruption.

PPADB's latest survey relating to public confidence on procurement in government departments is 57 percent, a slight increase from the previous 55 percent which means more work needs to be done.