Public Agenda (Accra)
Frederick Asiamah
25 August 2008
Processes are ongoing to allow for the establishment of zonal offices of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) as part of a decentralization process.
Initial consultations regarding the establishment of five zonal offices have reportedly gone far with Accra, Sekondi-Takoradi, Koforidua, Kumasi and Tamale tipped as possible destinations. Ultimately, it is proposed that the PPA would have offices in all ten regions.
It is expected that the decentralisation process will help address one of the grey areas in public procurement. According to results of a performance assessment conducted by the PPA, procurement entities indicated they had difficulties making contact with the PPA on regular basis to seek advice on pertinent procurement issues primarily due to their geographic locations.
These came to the fore at the Third Public Forum of the PPA held in Accra on Thursday. It was themed: "Effective & Efficient Monitoring of Public Procurement for Sustainable Development." The event brought together major procurement stakeholders including government agencies, suppliers and contractors, civil society and individuals.
Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, was optimistic that the decentralisation process would lead to enhancing the capacities of Procurement Entities since the PPA would be closer to them and be able to monitor them more effectively.
He therefore encouraged entities to collaborate closely with the PPA and avail themselves of the numerous opportunities that the Authority puts across from time to time to develop institutional capacity for procurement.
"This is the surest means of enhancing their performance levels and ensuring better accountability of the State's resources," he noted, pledging the support of government for strengthening the capacity of entities.
Mr Baah-Wiredu emphasised the close relationship between effective procurement practices and development saying, "The effective performance of the country's procurement systems and practices would therefore determine the quantum of development needs and support to the private sector that can be provided within a particular financial year."
He said, " if tax payers" funds and efforts are "wasted" through indiscriminate and inefficient procurement processes and practices, and the tax collector's effort to collect taxes are wasted through the same means, the nation's effort of resource mobilisation for national development is undermined."
Mr Kwesi Abbey-Sam, Chairperson, Governing Board of PPA, shared the views of the minister. He said if procurement activities were monitored effectively, the nation was certain to reap benefits and sustain national development. He identified government entities, service providers (the supply side) and the media as major stakeholders whose collective responsibility it was to build an effective procurement system.
According to Mr Adjeinim Boateng Adjei, Chief Executive of the PPA, compliance with procurement standards on the part of entities had improved significantly. With reference to the PPA's latest Performance Assessment results, which sampled 515 entities, he said compliance with the requirement on advertising tender opportunities was 92.5%, up from 90% in the previous year.
Entities were required by Section 31 of the Public Procurement Act, Act 663 (2003) to publish contract awards in the form and manner prescribed by the law. In this case too, compliance had improved remarkably to 71.10% in 2007 from the 2006 score of 15.76%, he mentioned.
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