Procurement Board Launches Website

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Thursday, 06 July 2006 (Page 4)

The Public Procurement Board (PPB) on Tuesday launched a website in Accra to enhance the dissemination of information relating to public procurement in the country.

The website, www.ppbghana.org, provides information on the activities of the PPB and serves as a forum for advertisement for all procurement entities that fall under the scope of application of the law.

The site features tender notices, contract awards, procurement plans, history of Public Procurement Act and Government Procurement Act, policies and guidelines of the board and other procurement information related information.

The Chief Executive of PPB, Agyenim Boateng Adjei, said that suppliers, contractors and consultants would be encouraged to advertise on the website noting “the media, civil society, NGOs and the general public can also send in articles, views and comments on our website”.

He said that the launching of the Public Procurement Model of Excellence Tool and Margins of the Preference for Domestic Suppliers, Contractors and Consultants are all geared towards ensuring that public procurement is carried out to ensure judicious, economic and efficient use of state resources.

He invited the public to send in their suggestions to the Board and contributions to enable the board to improve and perfect the website to serve the purpose of the Act and bring efficiency into the public procurement system in the country.

Launching, the website on behalf of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Nana Juabeng Sereboe, Chief Director said procurement accounts for 50 to 70 per cent of government total expenditure and therefore called for effective management of public procurement to obtain value for state spending.

He said that since 2001, government has made several efforts to regulate expenditure and instil discipline in public finances.

Pointing out that in the current global village; information technology is the main driving forces of business, he said: “It is therefore critical that as a country, we take advantage of electronic procurement which brings sellers and buyers together through the internet.”

Nana Sereboe expressed the hope that the website besides providing most of the relevant information on public sector procurements to all stakeholders, particularly the private sector, would also increase the level of healthy competition that guarantees value for money.

He urged the PPB not to limit information on the website to only notices on tenders and contract awards but to let it be a source of information to guide the public on procurement.

“Make it a well of knowledge for the thirsty players in the procurement system to drink,” he advised.