To be conversant on the public procurement act, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies has been schooled on public procurement act by the public procurement authority.
Apart from the MMDCE’s, various heads of department and officers of the MMDA’s also received the training on the procurement act on Thursday at Miklin Hotel in Kumasi,Ashanti region.
The training workshop aimed to guide direct, train and give room to participants the way to monitor the procurement process in various units and departments.
The Ashanti regional minister, Hon.Simon Osei Mensah in his address stated that Procurement Act was meant for transparency, fairness and erase corruption to ensure value for money when it comes to the procurement of goods and services in the public sector. It has given been proven that indeed if the articles and sections in the Act are been implemented well as by law established, it would help the nation to get value for every money issue out for government business.
This, according to the minister will also address and identify short comings and organizational weaknesses government previously was encountering when it was not established.
Hon. Simon Osei Mensah told the participants that, the Public Procurement Act has made some modest success since its promulgation in 2003 by the NPP government led by H.E.John Agyekum Kuffour but has attracted some challenges.
He hinted that for Ghana to be developed, all institutions, agencies, and departments should take the Public Procurement Act very serious because it is of this realization that give the wisdom to the NPP government led by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to established the ministry of Public Procurement to streamline the activities of MDAs and MMDAs in their procurement.
The minister further noted that there must be a mechanism to track down and evaluate any public procurement to ensure compliance to the laws and of course the strict application of sanctions under the law.
Hon.Simon Osei Mensah emphasized that ,the new structure of the Act will not only promote the use of public procurement as a tool for national development, but will also harmonize the application of procurement related rules and will also fall with the international conventions and treaties.
Addressing the participants, the Ashanti regional minister told them that since government is by the people and of the people, the NPP government will be open to all in terms of public procurement as he said’’ there will be equal access for any citizen to participate in the public procurement process.
‘’I can recall without contradiction that sole sourcing has done serious harm to this country and that government is determined to reduce the practice if not stop it altogether’’. I would therefore urge the newly appointed MMDCEs to exhibit integrity and accountability and work with the law in their districts towards the Procurement.
Story by Martin Osei Tutu,Kumasi