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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Mr. Frank Mantey, has reassured the public that an electronic procurement system, Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) will boost “transparency, value for money and ensure greater competition” in the procurement processes.
Speaking at the final training phase on GHANEPS in Accra, Mr. Mantey stated GHANEBS will resolve procurement challenges associated with the manual system.
Highlighting the relevance of the system, he explained that: “With the electronic system, tenders are submitted electronically, and we can use it for consultancy. This means that there is no opportunity for anybody to go into the system to manipulate it. This will ensure fairness and transparency, including the evaluation, which will be conducted online. So in situations where individuals for their personal interests want to do things that favour a service provider or tenderer who wasn’t meant to win the contract, that will be reduced,” he said.
Mr. Mantey advised various heads of institutions to be educated about the new system and seek expert guidance on procurement to avert breaching the Procurement Act, where culprits could be imprisoned “up to five years or pay 2,500 penalty units or both if you flout the procurement rules.”
He assured periodic monitoring, and evaluation exercises to ensure compliance and challenges arising from the system.
The final phase of training held at the Accra Digital Centre hosted over 40 representatives from the Regional Coordinating Councils (RCC) and Municipal Assemblies.
It is anticipated that by 2023, all 53 public bodies listed for training under the GHANEPS will use an electronic procurement system in awarding public contracts.
This training of key staff at the regional coordinating councils and assembly is already taking place across the 16 regions.
GHANEPS (Ghana Electronic Procurement System) is a web-based, collaborative system, developed under the requirement of public procurement laws, to facilitate public procurement processes in Ghana.
It offers a secure, interactive, dynamic environment for carrying out procurement of all categories, complexity, or value.
GHANEPS supports processes of procuring goods, works, consultancy, non-consultancy, and disposal of assets.
The system supports various public procurement procedures including user registration, tender notification, tender preparation and submission, online tender evaluation, contract awarding, creation and management of catalogue, creation, and management of framework agreements and auctions and payments.
The system procedures will be implemented in accordance with guidelines issued on the use of the system.
Phase 1 of the e-procurement system began with five (5) government agencies – Department of Feeder Roads, Ghana Cocoa Board, Ghana Health Service, Koforidua Technical University, and Tema Metropolitan Assembly – with Phase II, covering all 34 Ministries, Public Universities, Metropolitan Assemblies and some selected Departments and Agencies, expected to start at the end of June 2019.
The phased roll-out is expected to continue until the end of 2020, during which all public entities will be expected to use the e-procurement system for their procurement activities.
