Vice President Dr Mohammadu Bawumia has stated that Ghana will go paperless on most of its activities. Based on this, several State Institutions such as the Passport office, the Registrar General and Controller Accountant General’s Department and Public Procurement Authority, Immigration, the Judiciary as well as some medical facilities are going digital.
The introduction of the Ghana Electronic Procurement system (GHANEPS) by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) will ensure transparency and efficiency in Ghana’s procurement system.
It is upon this idea, that the PPA introduced the Supplier’s Registration aimed at bringing all suppliers, contractors, and consultants together on a common platform to aid in the implementation of the electronic procurement system. Before that, suppliers, consultants, and contractors must pay for their services rendered during the procurement process at the various entities increasing their cost of doing business.
The supplier database brings it into the fold, even and transparent procurement process. There is transparency, accountability, and value for money in this process. Any supplier, consultant and contractor that have bid can avoid non-discriminatory procurement of goods, services and works.
GHANEPS provides an effective and efficient way of improving procurement whiles saving taxpayers money. The cost associated with the procurement process like printing of Tender and contract documents, evaluating meetings as well as the publication of tenders will be reduced in due course.
GHANEPS had been integrated with several other government systems for efficient workflow. It is connected to the system of the Registrar General’s Department which help to retrieve the details of all service providers. Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) for purposes of payment, GRA for the purpose of tax compliance as well as SSNIT.
GHANEPS was launched four years ago making Ghana the first country in the West African Sub Region to establish an Electronic Procurement System for the Public Sector. It uses online services for procurement activities and gives wider participation of service providers leading to an increase in competition. Information made available online by the electronic procurement processes enables interested parties such as civil societies, suppliers, and contractors among others to instantly access information associated with each tender and award process. The government is developing a well-cut strategy to discourage procurement.
In Ghana, about 70% of state revenue goes into procurement which means that a large chunk of the country’s revenue goes into procurement making it a veritable arena for corruption.
The mission of PPA is to harmonize the process of procurement in the public service to secure a judicious and efficient and economic use of public funds to ensure that public procurement is carried out in a fair transparent and non-discriminatory manner whiles promoting a competitive local industry.
Concluding, PPA will assert itself as a world-class efficient, transparent, and professionally managed public sector organization in Ghana which enjoys a high level of business confidence and ensures consistent attainment of the best value for money in the procurement of goods, works and services in support of national development whiles ensuring that Government achieves its agenda of paperless procurement.
SAMUEL KOBINA ASANTE
THE SENIOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER