Gambia
Public Procurement Authority/Institute last Thursday held graduation ceremony
for 77 candidates at the Paradise Suites Hotel.
The
student graduates honourably received their certificates and diplomas, after
successfully completing their courses.
The
objectives of the training was to ensure the maintenance of a transparent,
efficient and economic public procurement system; provide a fair opportunity
for all prospective suppliers of goods, works and consultancy services; and
prevent fraud, corruption and other malpractices in public procurement.
It
was also meant to improve social and economic capacity in The Gambia by
providing opportunities for local small and medium enterprises and individuals
to participate in an economic and professional manner as suppliers, contractors
and subcontractors in the public procurement arena as well as develop the
procurement profession against the backdrop of the current “inadequate”
training capacity in The Gambia.
The
training was designed with the intention of developing a pool of public
procurement personnel with relevant intellectual and practical capacities to
assume procurement responsibilities in both the public and private sectors.
Kebba
A.M. Sallah, GPPI director, in his welcoming address, said the training agenda
included focusing on the responsibilities to be undertaken by the procurement
workforce; establishing and coordinating nation-wide plans for training;
identifying, seeking and securing financial resources for training.
It
was also for adapting international trade centre and other plausible course
materials to Gambian circumstances; monitoring and evaluation of success of the
training programme; promoting training programmes as well as assessing the
impact of the training programmes and updating them as and when necessary.
One
of the mandates of the GPPA Act 2014 states the importance to promote the
development of a professional procurement workforce, including, organising and
conducting training programmes, and developing government policies and
programmes aimed at establishing procurement-related positions, career paths
and performance incentives.