By Nasratu Kargbo
The National Public Procurement Authority’s (NPPA) Chief Executive Director Ibrahim Brima Swarray has revealed that in the coming year the NPPA will lay emphasis on their monitoring function. Speaking at a press conference held on the 20th December 2021 at NPPA’s Office, Swarray said the institution has been short in its monitoring function and would make it a priority in 2022. “We are going to pay attention to our monitoring function”, he promised.
He emphasized that in 2022 the institution will be involved in active monitoring, wherein if tractors, fertilizers etc. are to be supplied, the institution’s monitoring team will be there to ensure that the said product is supplied to the specific institution.
Swarray explained that monitoring encompasses a lot of things such as procurement plan, monitoring suppliers and ensuring that they comply with what is indicated in the tender document. He mentioned how recently a certain company wanted to do an addendum on the contract that prompted NPPA to ask the monitoring team to investigate whether what was said by the company was true. He said the team is currently working on the report, and that the decision to make an addendum or not will be made in accordance with the findings from the monitoring team.
Highlighting some of the achievements made in 2021, Swarray said they were engaged in Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) nationwide stakeholder’s sensitization that was held in Kenema, Bo and Makeni on the 1st, 3rd and 5th respectively and the same engagement was also done in Freetown on the 20th April 2021.
“We realized that this paper business is creating tension” said Swarray. He further explained that they had to engage stakeholders “to move from paper to paperless, that is electronic”. He said they had to engage the stakeholders and users and educate them about the benefits and relevance of electronic procurement. He disclosed that phase two of the project will commence in 2022, after approval by the World Bank.
He stated that one of their main achievements is setting up offices in Bo, Kenema and Makeni. He said launching of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarter 2021 Procurement Price Norm, the provision of bulletins, training of NEC officials on internal audit control mapping of the procurement process, were some of the institution’s activities over the period.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (22/12/21)
