Procurement, supply chain professionals launch code of ethics

A code of ethics and conduct to instil professional discipline in procurement and supply chain practitioners in Ghana has been launched in Accra.

The Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply (GIPS), which launched the 19-point document, hopes it will help the professionals in public and private entities to uphold high standards of integrity, transparency and accountability.

Members of the GIPS, the umbrella body of procurement professionals in the country, are by the new code expected to demonstrate integrity, objectivity, professional competence and maintain confidentiality in the performance of their duties.

Millions saved

Launching the document on Tuesday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Mr Agyenim Boateng Adjei, said the authority had saved GH¢98 million as a result of some initiatives undertaken in the last nine months.

The initiatives, he indicated, included the creation of a Due Diligence and Value For Money Unit to “determine the reasonableness of justifications provided by entities in their applications for sole sourcing and restricted tendering”.

Mr Adjei explained that the move was to restore public confidence and credibility in the sole source and restricted tender approval processes and provide technical advice on government contracts to obtain value for money.

Support

Mr Adjei said the savings also came by the detection of padded contract sums and other procurement malpractices.

He expressed delight at the code of ethics and pledged the full support of his office to GIPS to ensure high standards among procurement professionals in the country. 

“We strongly believe that this will go a long way to improve professionalism in procurement in Ghana. We are prepared to offer the needed support to GIPS towards the implementation of this important document,” Mr Adjei added.

President

The President of the GIPS, Mr Collins Agyemang Sarpong, said the core mandate of the institute was to help maintain and develop a self-regulatory framework for strategic growth in procurement and supply chain practice.

He indicated that the country lost more than GH¢100 million through unethical procurement practices at the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.

Mr Sarpong enumerated the failure to obtain alternative quotations, splitting of contracts to avoid competitive tender, store purchases not routed through stores and payments made without proof of delivery as some of the unprofessional conducts that cost the state.

He added that shoddy construction works, non-execution of works after payments of mobilisation, delay in the execution of projects and unrecorded fuel and stores items were some of the factors causing the country financially.

“What is hurting to us as professionals is that these misbehaviours run through all the auditor’s reports we come across. It is about time all such misbehaviours stopped,” Mr Sarpong reiterated.

He urged employers and government agencies to strictly ensure that their staff who were involved in the profession, irrespective of their educational backgrounds, signed onto the code of ethics to help monitor and streamline unethical practices.

Code of ethics

Among the dictates, the document enjoins the procurement professional to comply with relevant laws, statutory requirements and regulations and avoid any actions that discredit the profession.

It further charges professionals to be responsible by complying with the spirit and letter of the law, as well as the required regulations of the organisations they work for and the professional institute.