By Henry Kargbo
The Chief Executive of the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) Ibrahim Brima Swarry has Tuesday 20th December disclosed that in an efforts to reduced corruption and ensures value for monies his the Authority has saved the Government of Sierra Leone Sixteen Trillion Leones (Le1.6 T.)
Swarry made the disclosure at a one day training seminar on Public Procurement, hosted at the Civil Service Training College Tower Hill in Freetown.
He said the NPPA team has prevented Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from going into a contracts that will cost government huge amount of money without realizing the desired benefits.
Swaray underscored the significance of the training as part of Government’s commitment towards the mitigation of corruption, and commended the media for playing pivotal role in the disseminations of the good works of the NPPA in the last four years. He added the public could hardly know about the activities of the Authority and the crucial role it plays for which he extended profound gratitude to the media.
The NPPA Chief said the Authority is well staffed with 115 working human resource capacity nationwide, informing that his leadership has ensured the availability of the regulations and procurement manuals to guide the process.
On the objectives of the training, the Director of Capacity Building NPPA, Allieu Moijoi said workshop was conducted for the media and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on the importance of the monitoring of Public Procurements, thereby to enhancing the capacity of both CSOs and the media to undertake the imperative venture.
Moijoi said that another crucial objective of the capacity training is to amplify Sierra Leonean voices through the media and CSOs in the monitoring Public Procurement Accountability and Transparency in the Public Procurement landscape.
He told journalists that the methods used in Public Procurement are characteristics of two types including open and restricted.
The open is done by publicly advertising, which gives equal access to all eligible and qualified bidders. He added that the name ‘Open’ methods includes International Competitive Bidding ICB and National Competitive Bidding NCB.
He said that there are five objectives for a good procurement which are Procure that right quality goods, works or services from a reliable supplier, ensuring cost effectiveness, delivery at the right time, delivery to the right place and playing the right price whilst achieving the lowest possible total cost.
He said in Principles of Procurement they are in line with Transparency, Fairness, Accountability, Competition, and Value for money, Ethical Approach and Professionalism.
Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs Francis Gbaya spoke of the legal framework of Public Procurement.
