The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has inaugurated a 17-member Steering Committee to oversee the successful implementation of the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS).
The GHANEPS is a web-based, collaborative system, developed in accordance with the requirement of public procurement laws, to facilitate public procurement processes in Ghana.
Under the e-Transform Project and undertaken by the Ministry of Communication with funding support from the World Bank, it promotes transparency in all operations, ensures uniformity in procedures and consistent application of global standards for the procurement of goods, works, and services.
The committee which has members cutting across multi-sectoral, professional and civil society organisations, is chaired by Mr Frank Mante, the Acting Chief Executive of Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
It mandate includes the facilitation and provision of inputs to the formulation of policies and procedures required for the implementation to enhance the rate of adoption.
It would also monitor and supervise the implementation progress on a regular basis and provide appropriate guidance to ensure the roll-out of GHANEPS to all public procurement entities.
The committee was sworn in by the out-going Chairman of PPA, Professor Douglass Boateng, who affirmed his confidence in the committee and urged members to be committed to this important national assignment. He also emphasised that, e-procurement is the future and GHANEPS stands to save the country millions of dollars on annual basis.
In his remarks, Mr Mante said for the successful implementation of a project, covering multiple government organisations across the country, it was imperative to have collaboration and co-ordination among key stakeholders.
He said the challenges of implementation was not in setting up a functional technology platform, but more in getting all the stakeholders to buy in and adopt the platform for day to day procurement activities.
The Roll-Out of GHANEPS has been ongoing since 2019 and there are currently 242 Public Entities on the system. The expectation is to have the entire estimated 660 Public Entities on the system by October 2023. This include all MDAs, MMDAs, state owned enterprises, hospitals and tertiary institutions.
Members of the committee include Mr Augustine Blay, Secretary to the Vice-President ; Eric Victor Appiah from PPA; Ruth Ferkah, representing the Ministry of Communication; Rebecca Okai Hammond representing the e-Transform Project; Golda G. Asante from the Office of the Head of Local Government Service; Fred Charles Forsonfrom the Office of the Head of the Civil Service; Raynold Quarshie from the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General and Alexander Koomson representing the Ghana Audit Service.
The rest are Marian Deladam of the Internal Audit Agency; Frank Ademan representing State Interest and Governance Authority; Kwame Jantuah of the Association on Ghana Industries (AGI); Beauty Emefa Narteh of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition; Stella Addo of Chattered Institute of Procurement and Supply Chain (CIPS);Araba Kudiaborfrom the Ghana Health Service and representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Ghana Institute of Engineers with Mr Kwame Prempeh, the Deputy Chief Executive of PPA, who leads the GHANEPS Secretariat, will serve as Secretary to the Steering Committee.
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