Ghana’s public procurement space is expected to be sanitised following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and Commerce Edge Advisory Services of South Africa.
The agreement is expected to result in a comprehensive Certification and Licensing Programme for Public Procurement Practitioners in Ghana.
Mr. Agyenim Boateng Adjei, the Chief Executive Officer of PPA, reckoned industry players will now have the benefit of a one-stop training leading to enhanced efficiency while contributing significantly to organisational profitability.
He said the collaboration would strengthen the implementation of section (3) K of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as amended adding the operationalisation of the MoU would recognise and ensure active involvement of procurement and supply chain professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Supply Chain Management (CISCM), Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) and the Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply (GIPS).
Mr. Adjei while acknowledging the role of procurement in the Supply Chain framework, also observed Stores and Inventory Control, Transport and Distribution, Procurement/Production Planning and Contract Management must all must align to achieve cohesion.
Minister of State in charge of Public Procurement, Ms Sarah Adwoa Safo stated the partnership will help raise the procurement function to a higher standard while helping check corruption in public procurement space, ensure value for money, integrity, accountability and aid the government’s vision of moving “Ghana beyond Aid.”
Mr. Andre Coetzee, the Managing Director of Commerce Edge Advisory Services, in charge of Africa region, said the operationalisation of the MoU would move procurement and Supply Supply Chain Management from a backroom function to a strategic one adding the new system will help improve good governance and accountability.
Mr. Coetzee submitted appropriate sanctions will be meted out to offenders while there is a code of ethics procurement practitioners here can be measured against.
Among others, the MoU covers integration of online platforms, Procurement Supply Competency Assessment Tools, Short courses and Work-based integration, Publication of Procurement Journals and the organisation of an Annual West African Procurement and Enterprise Development Summit.
By Michael Eli Dokosi/goldstreetbusiness.com
