The Deputy CEO-Public Procurement Authority, Ghana (PPA), Mr. Kwame Prempeh, has hinted that very soon Suppliers, Consultants, Contractors and all other procurement entities which have not enrolled on the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) will be unable to do business with government – and for that matter face challenges in the line of their operations, and cannot be assured of payment after delivering those services.
Mr. Prempeh made this statement when delivering a lecture on the Overview of Ghana’s Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) for members of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE) on Thursday 10th August, 2023 at the Engineers Centre, Roman Ridge-Accra.
According to the Deputy CEO-PPA, with the introduction of GHANEPS, procurement processes have become paperless and there will be no need for the traditional printouts of tender documents.
The GHANEPS is an integrated system that provides a one-stop-shop solution for procurement entities; improves transparency, efficiency and effectiveness; and is a seamless system that helps to monitor all contracts awarded to entities for tax benefits to government.
He explained that since GHANEPS roll-out period, between 2019 and 2023, over 660 procurement entities have been trained and enrolled on GHANEPS. The PPA has a roll-out plan to train and enrol 15 entities onto GHANEPS per month. Roll-out is generally done on regional basis, with all public procurement entities (PPE) in a region taken through the roll-out process in a period of approximately three (3) months. Multiple roll-outs are conducted for regions where the number of entities are in excess of 50. So far, Greater Accra has seen the most roll-outs.
Mr. Kwame Prempeh added that by linking the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) with the GHANAPS platform, procurement entities stand a big chance that their money will be paid on time by government after delivery of the goods/service provided. This will limit the amount of contracts given without approval, which creates a lot of arrears for government.
President-Ghana Institution of Engineering, Ing. Kwabena Bempong – speaking to media at the PPA evening lecture, said when it comes to Procurement in general, the underlining principles are fairness, value for money and ensuring that there is transparency. When these things are missing, then the procurement process’s integrity becomes questionable. So, with the introduction of GHANEPS in Procurement processes, the human element is taken out; so, the issue of people trying to block the system or take advantage of it is taken out.
Those present at the PPA evening lecture included: Ing. Leslie Alex Aryeh, Past President of GhIE; Ing. David Kwatia Nyante – Executive Director of GhIE; some Council members of GhIE and Engineers. And lecture was moderated by Ing. Joyce Asante, an Electrical/Electronic Engineer by profession.
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