Procurement Authority allays local firms’ fears over new system

The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has assured local firms that they will not be sidelined in the award of contract for the implementation of electronic procurement which takes off next year.

Government finally settled on IT firm, European Dynamics, for the execution of the project and according to the Authority’s CEO, Agyenim Boateng Adjei, the move among other things will reduce corruption and enhance transparency in the country’s procurement process.

Speaking to Starr Business at the sidelines of an event dubbed Project kickoff, he explained the new system is basically the conversion of the manual system into an electronic one.

He said the PPA in its current law has what it calls margin of preference which gives preference to local bidders.

“So if the local bidders are taking on any foreign tender they have a certain leverage. A platform that gives them leverage over their foreign counterparts, those things will not be eliminated from the [electronic] system,” said Mr. Adjei.

The project is expected to be executed in three phases, spanning a nine-month period.

On his part, the Project Manager of European Dynamics, Anglos Hatzikyriacos assured that measures will be taken to eliminate fraud in the implementation of the new procurement system.