Published: 19 Jun 2017 Source: University Relations Office (URO)
As part of Public Procurement Authority mandate for procurement entities to train service agencies to enhance competitiveness, a workshop on public procurement for suppliers, contractors and consultants has been held at the Amonoo Neizer Conference Center, KNUST. The aim was to educate and equip service providers on how to prepare responsive tenders which to a large extent would help the University to achieve value for money.
Professor Rexford Assasie Oppong, Chairman, Tender Sub-Committee, Goods and Services, KNUST in his welcome address noted that KNUST as a public institution is bound to follow the tenets of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663 as amended) in carrying out the procurement of goods, works and services.
However, he believed that in the application of the Act, there have been many instances where some service providers who can offer very good services or quality products and competitive prices are disqualified because their firms failed to respond to some of the requirements as captured in the tender invitation documents.
Prof. Assasie Oppong added that these mistakes made by service agencies continuously come up at almost every tender evaluation panel meeting and they negatively affect the University in getting value for money and in a way prevent firms from winning contracts.
Professor Imoro Braimah, Provost, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, stated that procurement is a great tool for development and also a means by which public agencies like KNUST can get value for money. This, he said, implies getting the best goods and services at the best prices, by which service providers get businesses and jobs and grow in terms of wealth.
He explained, “As pace setters we do not want our name to be associated with bad agencies. We want our name to be in the news as a place where procurement process is the best in the country”. He advised participants to desist from corruption and other malpractices in the procurement process at KNUST. Prof. Braimah encouraged the participants to actively participate in the training programme and acquire the requisite skills and knowledge to win contracts.