National Public Procurement Authority

OAU Drive, Tower Hill, Freetown

Website: www.publicprocurement.gov.sl

Phone: +232 25 274043 / +232 25 238583

PUBLIC NOTICE

CIRCULAR 01 – 2022

LEASING/RENTAL OF OFFICE SPACE FOR PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITIES

It has come to the notice of the Authority that leasing and rental of office space by public sector entities accounts for a considerable amount of spend. The Authority has therefore decided to reclassify this activity from its current designation as a non-procurement activity to the designation as a procurement activity. Going forward therefore, bidding procedures must be applied in the selection process.

In addition to having discovered that the amounts involved are colossal, we further came to the realization that:

       1. There are currently no parameters set to guide costs in this area.

       2. Structures previously rented out to the private sector as dwelling houses are rented out to public sector entities for more than five times the amount paid by the private sector.

This in essence means that huge disparity in cost exists between properties that are similar in terms of total floor space.

All procuring entities that have leased or rented privately owned properties are required to ensure that procurement processes are initiated well in advance of the expiry of the rental period.

In order to better understand this segment of spend and to start the process of cost rationalization, we require that all entities that have rented or leased properties should provide the following information immediately to the Authority:

i. Location of the property

ii. State whether it is under rent or lease.

iii. Duration of the agreement.

iv. Total floor space (square meters).

V. Number of floors.

vi. Number of rooms

vii. Conference room availability

viii. Outside (compound) ground space (square meters).

ix. Fenced compound

X. Other facilities (garage, parking space, generator room, swimming pool, etc).

xi. Pipe borne water, electricity

xii. A copy of the rental/lease agreement

Ibrahim Brima Swarray (MCIPS)

Chief Executive – NPPA