Let’s use local sourcing to empower industry for AfCFTA - GIPS President

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers tremendous opportunities for the nation’s growth aspirations but it would require a structured and prudent use of procurement that encourages local sourcing and usage of local firms as suppliers of factories, newly-elected president of the Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply (GIPS), Simon Annan has said. Speaking to journalists after assuming his new role, he said public procurement could be leveraged to enhance the participation of local industry in the single continental market, especially for small and medium enterprises which make up the bulk of private sector businesses and hoards the highest workforce in the country. “The AfCFTA offers a range of opportunities, including an expansion of pooled procurement and further urges African governments to adopt SME-targeted industrial policies that minimize the impact of their size in terms of both technical and financial capacity,” Mr. Annan said. He added: “Our economy needs a substantial boost, and we can do that through supplier development initiatives, intra-Africa trade, government policies, and the development of SMEs to meet the needs of large industries and economies.” According to the GIPS president, the twin crisis of COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war has underlined the importance of the procurement practice in ensuring business continuity and encouraged all professionals to go about the duties ethically and diligently. “Our impact nationally ought to be the fulcrum of our operations, and we seek to help create an industrial economy through leadership,” he further indicated. GIPS last Friday swore in a new five-member leadership to steer the affairs of the institute for the next few years. The new team is led by procurement expert, Simon Annan as President and assisted by Dr. William Oppong, Vice President Celestine Djane, Executive Secretary; Elizabeth Odei, Financial Secretary; and Ebenezer Aidoo, Organising Secretary. They are mandated to promote high standard of integrity and accountability in the practice of procurement in the country and to position procurement as the profession of choice in the country. Key among them, according to Mr. Annan, will be to ensure the passage of a Procurement Practicing Bill into law to regulate the procurement practice in Ghana, position and build the GIPS brand as a reputable professional body, increase the GIPS membership base and provide value to its members whilst facilitating partnerships with academia and industry within Ghana and beyond. Outgone president of GIPS, Collins Agyemang Sarpong, in his remarks, encouraged the new leadership to remain resolute in the quest to position procurement and supply chain management as a solid and reputable profession and appealed to all members to give them their utmost support. He also charged them to build upon the several successes that were chalked under his leadership including enhanced visibility, courting the youth and young procurement students into the fold and the drafting of the Procurement Practicing Bill. GIPS Council Chair, Mr. Basil Ahiable, who swore-in the new executives, applauded the outgoing leadership for their good work whilst tasking the new team to build a formidable professional body that can champion the nation’s development agenda. “It’s time to move to the next level by driving stakeholder value; we need to curb procurement-related corruption by building an ethical and professional procurement force to help sanitize the public and private procurement landscape in Ghana,” he admonished.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers tremendous opportunities for the nation’s growth aspirations but it would require a structured and prudent use of procurement that encourages local sourcing and usage of local firms as suppliers of factories, newly-elected president of the Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply (GIPS), Simon Annan has said. Speaking to journalists after assuming his new role, he said public procurement could be leveraged to enhance the participation of local industry in the single continental market, especially for small and medium enterprises which make up the bulk of private sector businesses and hoards the highest workforce in the country. “The AfCFTA offers a range of opportunities, including an expansion of pooled procurement and further urges African governments to adopt SME-targeted industrial policies that minimize the impact of their size in terms of both technical and financial capacity,” Mr. Annan said. He added: “Our economy needs a substantial boost, and we can do that through supplier development initiatives, intra-Africa trade, government policies, and the development of SMEs to meet the needs of large industries and economies.” According to the GIPS president, the twin crisis of COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war has underlined the importance of the procurement practice in ensuring business continuity and encouraged all professionals to go about the duties ethically and diligently. “Our impact nationally ought to be the fulcrum of our operations, and we seek to help create an industrial economy through leadership,” he further indicated. GIPS last Friday swore in a new five-member leadership to steer the affairs of the institute for the next few years. The new team is led by procurement expert, Simon Annan as President and assisted by Dr. William Oppong, Vice President Celestine Djane, Executive Secretary; Elizabeth Odei, Financial Secretary; and Ebenezer Aidoo, Organising Secretary. They are mandated to promote high standard of integrity and accountability in the practice of procurement in the country and to position procurement as the profession of choice in the country. Key among them, according to Mr. Annan, will be to ensure the passage of a Procurement Practicing Bill into law to regulate the procurement practice in Ghana, position and build the GIPS brand as a reputable professional body, increase the GIPS membership base and provide value to its members whilst facilitating partnerships with academia and industry within Ghana and beyond. Outgone president of GIPS, Collins Agyemang Sarpong, in his remarks, encouraged the new leadership to remain resolute in the quest to position procurement and supply chain management as a solid and reputable profession and appealed to all members to give them their utmost support. He also charged them to build upon the several successes that were chalked under his leadership including enhanced visibility, courting the youth and young procurement students into the fold and the drafting of the Procurement Practicing Bill. GIPS Council Chair, Mr. Basil Ahiable, who swore-in the new executives, applauded the outgoing leadership for their good work whilst tasking the new team to build a formidable professional body that can champion the nation’s development agenda. “It’s time to move to the next level by driving stakeholder value; we need to curb procurement-related corruption by building an ethical and professional procurement force to help sanitize the public and private procurement landscape in Ghana,” he admonished.