Ga South Municipal Assembly educate people on public procurement processes

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The Ga South Municipal Assembly and the People?s Dialogue on Human Settlement have organized a forum to educate the people on public procurement processes to enable them monitor public funded projects.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURESThe Assembly?s officials say the training would strengthen capacities of beneficiaries of government projects to understand the stages involved in public procurement and be in a better position to help track ongoing works.

Mr Victor Yorborwu, Procurement Officer of the Assembly, said citizens? understanding of public procurement procedures would help prevent shoddy works, minimize corruption and ultimately speed up completion of the projects.

Public procurement accounts for 50 to 70 per cent of the national budget, next to personal emoluments, and 14 per cent of Gross Domestic Product and 24 per cent of total imports, he said.

He said: ?Public procurement therefore has both economic and social impact,? adding that it had a direct impact on successful delivery of government projects and public services.

He said it ensured sound public financial management by achieving value for money in government expenditure, reduces corruption and encouraged private sector growth and investment.

Some participants hailed the training, describing it as ?informative, interesting and eye opener? on how government procures works and services and the need for citizens to be actively engaged in the monitoring of projects to ensure quality delivery and value for money.

Mr Charles Owusu-Ansah, a Ghawe New Residents Association representative, told the Ghana News Agency that the effective nature of the training had enlightened him to appreciate the fact that citizens must be part and parcel of project implementation in their areas.

He called for regular workshops for citizens on operations going on in the assemblies so they could hold duty bearers accountable.

However, Mr Mensha Aborampah said that the people involved in the training ought to form an oversight committee to check what went on in the procurement process, bidding and award of contracts.

?Invite the public to see what is going on in the bidding process, it must be public to ensure that there is no underhand dealing, so that we will be sure contracts are awarded to the right persons,? he added.

The training forms part of government Social Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability project.

It is the third component of the Local Government Capacity Support Project with the involvement of Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Finance, and Local Government Service Secretariat.

People?s Dialogue, a community-based NGO established in 2003, is part of the implementation agencies executing the Social Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability project in 46 metropolitan and municipal assemblies across the country in three years.

Mr Kojo Anane, Programme Officer of People?s Dialogue on Human Settlements, an NGO (People?s Dialogue) said: ?Poverty can hardly be reduced in Ghana particularly in the long run unless deliberate efforts are made to strengthen social accountability at all levels of development.?

He said public office holders have the core responsibility of administering development and delivering public goods and services to better the lot of citizens.

GNA

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