On Tuesday 20th 2021, the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) will conduct a day awareness  raising campaign at YSC conference Hall in Freetown on the implementation of the electronic Government Procurement system targeting procurement officers, Civil society Organisations, Lecturers, internet portal runners, Traders Union, the media and other relevant public sector members. Similar exercises were held in Kenema (East) Bo(South) and Makeni (Northern) on 1st to 5th March 2021.

The goal of implementing the e-procurement is to award timely and cost-effective contracts to qualified contractors, suppliers and service providers for the provision of goods, work and services to support government and public service operations in accordance with principles and procedures established in the public procurement Act and Regulations.

Ahead of the exercise, the Chief Executive of NPPA, Ibrahim Brima Swarray has revealed that the procurement practitioners are the principal actors in the public procurement process. He admitted that they are responsible for ensuring that the goal of public procurement is achieved. Establishing that their work must gain stakeholders’ trust and ensure they fully understand the procurement processes and principles. “Procurement practitioners are directly and indirectly engaged in the procurement process from need assessment to contract close-out. Although they are more directly involved in the public procurement process, they also provide advice and support during contract execution”, he maintained.

Mr. Swarray stressed that the implementation of the e-GP is meant to increase productivity, provide visibility into day-to-day transactions and make it easier for users to get the supplies they need. He underscored that it has not been an easy road to arriving at the implementation stage of e-procurement; adding that it has its challenges and it will take time for suppliers, contractors and procurement departments to fully accept it. The advantages he noted are cost reduction by leveraging volume, having structured supplier relationships and using system improvements in order to reduce external spending while improving quality and supplier performance. “E-procurement will eliminate paper work and reduce errors. The visibility of  centralized tracking of transactions enables full reporting on requisitions, items purchased, orders processed and payments made”, he noted.

He maintained that the advantages of E-procurement will extend to ensuring compliance with existing and established contracts.

The procurement Chief explained that on productivity, the internal customers can obtain items they want from a catalogue of approved items through an on-line requisition and ordering system. He said procurement practitioners can be released from processing orders and handling low value transactions to concentrate on strategic sourcing and improving supplier relationships. “Standardized approval processes and formal workflows ensure that the correct level of authorization is applied to each transaction and that spending is directed to draw off existing contracts. Compliance to policy will be improved as users can quickly locate products and services from preferred suppliers and are unable to create maverick purchases”, he  explained.

Using the technology, E-procurement advantages he emphased could only be fully realized when the systems and processes to manage it are in place . He revealed that the software tools would be needed to create the standard procurement documentation: electronic requests for information, requests for proposal and requests for quotations. Thus, he confirmed that there are proven methods to source goods, works, services and make the framework agreements that offer the best prices.

On his part, the Directorator of Legal and Corporate Affairs, Barristar Francis Momoh Gbaya, said that adequate full integrated e-procurement approach is needed for  overall success in the public financial management system. He explained that additional programs will provide the framework for the supplier databases and spending management as well as holding key vendor information being an electronic repository for contracts. “All these facilities cost money and a clear business case must be made for e-procurement. In most cases this is fairly clear that cost savings are possible. It pays for MDAs to spend money through e-procurement technology because it will boost efficiency. The goal of implementing e-GP is to award timely and cost-effective contracts to qualified contractors suppliers and service providers for the provision of goods,  works and service, to support government and public operations in accordance with principles and procedures established in public procurement Act and Regulations”, he reaffirmed.

He maintained that the longer term reduction in cost could enable Ministries, Departments and Agencies to direct their resources to more strategic initiatives. “E-procurement advantages are significant bottom-line benefits, including cost reduction, process efficiencies, spending controls and compliance”, he noted.

The Directorator of e-GP, Alie Bangura lauded the Authority for such a novelty adding that procurement is taking a unique posture in Sierra Leone especially so when the world is now transitioning into the world centred e-procurement.

He reminisced 15 years back when the concept of public procurement was introduced in the County noting that the introduction of E-Procurement is a testament of how far they have come and a refinery of the gains made over decade ago. “The digital route of procurement will eliminate all known vices and problems of non-compliance among procurement entities. With support from the Ministry of Finance and World Bank, the functionality reviews on the final document were done last year highlighting key implementation strategy “, he noted.

He is calling on Ministries, Departments and Agencies to have maximum respect for public funds and to abide by all provisions enshrined in the Public Procurement Act, its regulations and Manual.

The multi stakeholders’ awareness session which started last month is to continue in Freetown on Tuesday 20th April 2021.

Legal and Corporate Affairs Directorate, National Public Procurement Authority, OAU Drive, Tower Hill Freetown. www.nppa.gov.sl