Reform procurement system — US Ambassador

The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert Jackson, has proposed reforms in the country’s procurement system as part of efforts to increase transparency in public procurement processes.

In what he said would enable Ghanaians to get the best value and highest quality services from companies, he called for a launch of a publicly accessible government procurement website that would allow citizens to view opportunities to bid on government contracts, provide names of all bidders and detail the timeline for the bid, as well as allow citizens to make anonymous formal complaints in instances where they sense foul play in the bidding process.

At a luncheon organised by the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Ghana in Accra yesterday, on the theme; “Improving Public Procurement to Minimise Corruption,” he said “initiatives like this will send a strong signal that Ghana truly is open for business.”

He said the time had come for major changes to demonstrate practical commitments towards the fight against corruption, most of which emanates from the procurement processes in the country.

The issue about corruption from the public procurement process is said to cost the country billions of cedis every year because the right mechanisms to check fraud and avoid system abuse have not been put in place.

It is against this background and more that the President fulfilled one of his earlier campaign promises by setting up a ministry within the presidency to advise on measures to reserve the situation.

Suffice it to say that the various abuses in the system continues and the country is still losing money meant for the development of the country to benefit the masses to a few individuals.

No more rhetoric

Mr Jackson said the time had come for the government to move from lip service to actions that would achieve tangible results in the fight against corruption in the country.

He added that the US embassy was excited about what the government had been saying about increasing transparency, fighting corruption and improving the ease of doing business in the country but “there is still more to be done.”

“American companies are excited about the possibilities,” he said, but noted that “we would like to see action and tangible results.”

Deepen interaction

Ambassador Jackson indicated the preparedness of the United States to work with the government to improve transparency in the public sector and eradicate corruption that seems to be the bane of the country.

“That’s not just talk. In June, we hosted a former Georgetown University law professor who specialises in public procurement reform in developing countries and he conducted a three-day interactive workshop with staff of the Public Procurement Authority, as well as procurement professionals from various ministries,” he said.

According to the US Ambassador, the workshop gave the participants a greater understanding of international best practices in the areas of tendering procedures, contract evaluation, the benefits of electronic procurement, how to conduct a procurement audit and contract management.

E procurement ready by 2018

The Director of Monitoring and Evaluation of the Public Procurement Authority, Mr Eric Appiah, assured the gathering of the government’s resolve to deepen transparency and curb corruption in the process of public procurement by establishing an electronic platform that would replace the old system of bidders physically buying and submitting tenders, which is shrouded in corruption.

“The E-platform will be ready by mid-2018 and will address some of the shortfalls in the procurement process where some contractors team up to submit low bids in anticipation of loses,” he emphasised.

Strategies

As part of the Public Financial Management Reforms (PFMR) Project 2015-2018, the Public Procurement Authority has started undertaking a survey to identify functional procurement units within entities across the country for the purposes of strengthening its regulatory function and also to support the effective implementation of the Public Procurement Act, (2003), Act 663 and the Amendment Bill as soon as it becomes effective in 2018.