GIPS steps up efforts to sanitize procurement landscape

President of the Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply (GIPS), Simon Annan, has reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to ensure the passage of the draft Procurement Practicing Bill to guide and sanitize the procurement landscape in the country. He indicated that the draft bill, which is being readied for approval by Parliament, will be a game-changer for the procurement practice. “The enactment of this bill is long overdue; it will be a game-changer for the profession and the panacea to curbing procurement-related corruption in both public and private organisations,” he said. According to GIPS, the passage of the bill will not only tackle procurement infractions but also give the right level of backing to practitioners and professionals to go about their functions ethically and professionally. Mr. Annan added: “When this bill is passed, it will help to curb these procurement related infractions because it will set the standards as well as regulate the practice of procurement and supply profession in the country.” As incidents of procurement malpractices bring some level of disrepute to the profession, the GIPS president also implored the public to see procurement as a tool for development and nation building. A lot of people attribute corruption to the procurement in the country and it’s something that must be looked at holistically because we can leverage procurement to advance the growth of the nation, he said. Mr. Annan added that, “If people should look at procurement through the lens of corruption, then we might have drifted from the ideals of the profession because most countries have used procurement to advance their industrialization agenda, including development of small and medium enterprises and supplier programmes.” The passage of the bill is a topmost priority of the new leadership of GIPS, in addition to positioning and building the GIPS brand as a reputable professional body, increasing membership base whilst facilitating partnerships with academia and industry within Ghana and beyond.