Tertiary institutions to introduce degree courses in Public Procurement

Accra, Aug. 24, GNA - Tertiary institutions in the country are to start a degree programme in procurement practice soon to train qualified personnel in public procurement to promote good governance. Besides, Polytechnics' syllabuses of Higher National Diploma (HND) in Purchasing and Supply are to be reviewed to allow for the introduction of the programme for personnel in the Public and Civic Service.

Mr Agyenim-Boateng Adjei, Chief Executive of the Public Procurement Board (PPB), who announced this on Thursday in Accra, said the move was long overdue since at present procurement personnel supervised activities with very little knowledge of the subject. Mr Adjei told the maiden public annual forum on public procurement that a recent assessment conducted by the Board revealed lack of qualified procurement staff in most procurement entities that did not have any programme for training.

The forum was under the theme: "Public Procurement and Good Governance."

The forum was to provide the platform for the public to scrutinize the activities of the PPB and get more insight into the two-year-old Procurement Act as part of the process to deepening good governance. Prior to the degree course, short-term procurement training for Entity Tender Committees; Tender Review Boards; Providers (suppliers, contractors and consultants); oversight bodies and procurement practitioners would begin in November 2006.

Mr Adjei said local businesses and firms would be assisted to be competitive in the provision of goods, works and services in an efficient and cost effective manner.

On procurement structures, he said the composition of the Entity Tender Committees and Review Boards, which were supposed to be the basics, continued to pose big challenges to the Board.

"...Approximately 40 per cent are yet to do so, mainly from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies," he said. He said the Board had developed a three-year strategic plan to span 2006 to 2008 that would harmonize all the processes of public procurement.

The plan, he said, would develop procurement policies, set standards and rules, supervise, monitor and evaluate public procurement to ensure compliance with the requirement of the Act. Dwelling on the theme, Professor George Gyan-Baffour, Deputy Minister Finance and Economic Planning, said it was pragmatic since procurement ensured that public institutions used resources to acquire goods, works and services at the best possible total cost of ownership under the right circumstances to meet society's need. He said improvement in public procurement procedures had a direct impact on the achievement of the objectives of good governance that included improving infrastructural development through the procurement of goods, works and services.

"Good governance hinges on good procurement practices and improving procurement in the public sector will yield dividends beyond financial savings=94, Prof. Gyan-Baffour said. 24 Aug. 06