State procurement offcers, others train on Electric Procurement System

Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has trained Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, and Procurement Officers of the various Government institutions in the Volta region on the Electronic Procurement System. The E-procurement system was introduced in 2012 and officially launched in 2019 to move away from paperwork to the usage of technology for procurement in state institutions. E-procurement is a digital platform that will allow state agencies to make procurement electronically instead of in-person contract arrangements, further, suppliers will no longer visit institutions to apply for contracts but log onto the platform to do the needful. The training was held between Monday, October 10 to Friday, October 14 2022 in Ho. Deputy Chief Executive Officer of PPA Dr. Kwame Prempeh speaking on the fourth day of the training said the system will ensure transparency in public procurement. He also noted that challenges with regard to procurement processes will no longer exist since "you only need to use your phone, tablets, computer wherever you're to access the platform for procurement". Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Letsa who was also at the ceremony welcomed the idea. He said the initiative is in line with the government's digitilization agenda and will help reduce corruption in the public sector. "I believe the implementation of the electronic procurement system is a means to reduce the incidence of corruption in the procurement process to its bearest minimum if not to eradicate it," the Minister said. The participants were from the sixteen districts assemblies of the Volta region including public Hospitals and universities in the region. A major concern raised at the training is the effectiveness of internet connectivity to enable smooth usage of the platform, especially for institutions in the hinterlands.