The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) Mr. AB Adjei, has revealed that, his outfit in the last 9 months, has saved the country an amount of GH98million “which would have been eroded through padded contract sums and other procurement malpractices”.
Speaking at the launch of Code of Ethics and Conduct for industry players in Accra Tuesday, he mentioned that the authority made the savings through due diligence, value for money and the establishment of Procurement Audit Unit.
He explained that Procurement Audit Unit is responsible for the conduct of periodic procurement audits, investigations and procurement performance assessment exercises to assess the level of compliance or otherwise of procuring entities in respect to the procurement law and “share our findings with the law enforcement agencies such as EOCO to prosecute offenders.”
Mr Adjei said the act of malpractices in the procurement sector has been as a result of procurement professionals conniving with political leaders to drain the country under the fear
Mr. Collins Agyemang Sarpong, President of Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply, said the code of ethics is to assist members in public and private sector organizations to achieve value for money, promote high standard of integrity and probity in respect of the procurement and supply management practice.
“Currently, the profession is bedeviled with negative perception and dented reputation to the extent of challenging the basis of procurement and supply management as a profession in Ghana,” he said.
According to him, unethical behavior resulting in the loss of huge amounts in the sector include, failure to obtain alternative quotations, splitting of contracts to avoid competitive tender, store purchases not routed through stores.
Others are payments made without proof of delivery or utilization of goods and services, abandoned projects, delay in the execution of projects, shoddy constructional works after payment of mobilization, unrecorded fuel and store items.
In his view, it is imperative to have a legislation backing the practice to minimize corrupt practices through procurement.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com |Simon Agbovi.