By Saio Marrah
As a way of safeguarding procurement practitioners in all Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) on procurement procedures, the National Pubic Procumbent Authority (NPPA) has launched its third quarter price norm, unveiling the different prices of commodities.
Price norm in procurement is the collection of items used by procurement entities in MDAS by showing the prevailing prices of various goods and services in the market.
Speaking at the main conference room of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the Chief Executive Officer of the NPPA, Ibrahim Brima Swarray, on Friday 9th July, 2021, said the price norm will be very useful in transforming the different MDAs. He said this is because every idea that comes from the strategic point is always transformed into money. He said transformation is where the procurement practitioners come in. “The price norm will be very useful in transforming the ideas of the Ministers, departmental Heads on audit, because every idea that comes from the strategic point is always transformed into money,” he said.
He added: “And that transformation is where you people, the procurement person’s expertise is needed for you to transform those ideas into money term.”
He said unlike the past when procurement issues were in a mess, every MDA now takes very seriously procurement issues and every MDA now has an office for a procurement person.
The CEO also added that there is a provision in the law which gives them the right to do a procurement assessment report. “We know we have aspect of our law that gives us the mandate to do assessment report, which is like procurement audit,” he said.
He said they did the 2018 report, and that they are about to complete the 2019 report, which he apologized to the public for its lateness. He said when the 2019 report will be out, they will determine as to whether they are making progress or otherwise and that they will embark on training, for which, some will be free and others will be paid for.
Swarray, added that they will subsequently issue out a code of ethics, which will be a guide to all procurement practitioners and that it will be binding on them. He therefore called on all interested procurement practitioners to review and critic where necessary.
He said since launch of the institution over the past three years, the agency has received lots of support from President Julius Maada Bio and that as head; he has enjoyed total independence from the presidency. Swarray, disclosed that those have been the many reasons of the transformations in the institution.
The Chairman of the NPPA, Alfred H Kandeh, noted that procurement issues have to be taken very seriously across all MDAs. He said they should not just call on procurement practitioners when there is a problem, but should be part of management. He said this is because the procurement practitioner advises the vote controller on key decision that has to do with monetary matters, which is the CEO of every institution.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online 12/07/21
