The
Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in partnership with the Gambia
Public Procurement Authority (GPPA) has conducted capacity-building training
course for big companies, in a bid to expose them to the public procurement
system.
The
training session was held at the EMPRETEC office in Bakau on Thursday, where
more than 20 participants converged and shared experiences and expertise on the
public procurement Act.
Speaking
at the opening session, a representative from GCCI, the Director of Corporate
Services, Beatrice Prom, said the training course was for public procurement
for bigger enterprises, because they felt that such training for this bigger
enterprises was a necessity, as most of these businesspeople are not conversant
with the public procurement laws, rules and regulations.
The
training would greatly impact on their everyday work, adding that it focused on
bidding and how to prepare the documentation.
She
expressed appreciation and thanked all those partners that made it possible to
train their members on how to prepare bidding documents, and on how to
participate successful in any bidding with government.
According
to Prom, this particular training course on procurement was meant for those
businesses that want to bid for products and services to the government.
“This
year, GCCI is celebrating its 50 years anniversary, and these are all
innovative persons that are coming up to enlighten our members.”
She
advised the participants to disseminate the information about the existence of
the public procurement law.
Pierre
Walter Chery, head of Administration and marketing at GNIC Company, said the
training course was purely on public procurement and it looks at the
procurement Act, and also the regulation on procurement.
Procurement
has to be transparent, efficient, economic, and accountable, he said, adding
that they dilated on two areas on effectiveness and efficiency.
Where
effective means doing the right thing, and efficiency means doing the right
thing in the right way.
He
said the government as a public institution has their Act that is their
guideline on how to go about procurement; so they in the private sector need to
know this, so that they are able to do business with government in an
effective, efficient, transparent and accountable manner.
He
also advised the participants that when they go back to their respective
offices they should be careful how to do procurement, and avoid bribery,
corruption or lobbying.
Chery
commended GCCI and GPPA for organizing the training course that would go a long
way in helping them know more about the public procurement Act.
Awa
Jallow from TAKAFUL Insurance Company and Mrs Anna Njie Samba from Prime
Insurance Company both said the training was very important, because they do
engage the government on tendering.
