The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has renewed the NPP government’s commitment to avert huge revenue losses due to flouting of public procurement rules.
According to him, the canker has also contributed to the high levels of corruption in the public sector.
To this end, the government has commenced a six day training program targeted at ministers, chief directors, and various stakeholders.
This is also in collaboration with the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
Speaking at the event, Dr. Bawumia also noted that the training has been designed to build capacity of the stakeholders and avoid past mistakes which lead to the loss of huge amounts of state money.
“Given the unnegotiable significance of public procurement in the governance of our country and the resounding victory granted by the good people of Ghana on the aegis of the trust that the NPP government is more capable of handling corruption head on, this training programme is expected to build capacity of government appointees on the essential provisions of the public procurement law”.
Meanwhile the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority, Adjeinim Boateng Adjei in an interview with Citi Business News asserted that anyone who flouts the laws of the authority is likely to face imprisonment of up to five years.
“We shall also emphasize the sanctions that go with infractions because it’s not just giving people knowledge and appreciation of how it works but also to drum home the sanctions that are also contained in the same law.”
“So if anybody knows that if you infringe on any portion of the law you can be imprisoned for up to five years they will ensure the right thing is done.”
The training commenced on Monday 29th June and it will end on the 5th of June, 2017.
It will among others inform Honourable Ministers, Ministers of State, Deputy Ministers, Chief Directors, Head of Agencies and Key Directors of State Institutions on how to best to carry out procurement projects and avoid facing legal action from flouting any of the rules.