The
senior management of the Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA) and the
European Union - long-term consultant - recently conducted a training course
for Gambia Groundnut Corporation officials now called the National Food
Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSP&MC).
The
two-day intensive training course was on the new Public Procurement Act 2014,
as well as for the two institutions to meet with the technical support from the
EU long-term consultant support to the implementation of PFM Reforms in
procurement in The Gambia.
It
was also held to interact and discuss issues regarding procurement procedures,
rules and regulations on the new GPPA Act.
The
two-day interface meeting was held at the NFSP & MC conference room at
Denton Bridge.
Speaking
to this reporter at the forum, Momodou Badjie, Admin and Human Resources
Manager at NFSP&MC, said the training course was yet another milestone in
the history of the corporation, because this was the first time such a training
course on procurement procedures was conducted for his officers.
He
thanked GPPA as the organiser of the training in partnership with the EU
long-term consultant on public procurement reform.
Mr
Badjie said the meeting was geared towards sensitising officials of NFSP&MC
about the new law on public procurement and regulations in procurement
processing.
He
advised the procurement officers who were opportune to attend the sensitization
activity to endeavour to practice the knowledge gained at their workplace, and
utilise it in their day-to-day functions.
Lalo
Danso, Director of Procurement Policy and Operations at GPPA, said the training
course was as a result of a request made by NFSP&MC to conduct the
sensitization activity on procurement procedures under the new Act.
He
said the aim was for GPPA in collaboration with EU LT-TA Consultant to take
them through the procurement process as defined by the new law, as well as some
of the changes and new requirements in the law.
They
need to avail themselves with the law so that they could be able to implement
or interpret the requirements of the law properly, and to conduct procurement
in accordance with the vision of the new law.
According
to Mr Danso, the participants were exposed to the objectives of the Act, as
well as through the functions of GPPA such as record keeping requirements and
the importance of record keeping, among others.
He
said the forum was important for the simple reason that it gave participants an
opportunity to look at new issues that are found in the Act, and also share
ideas, experiences, and doubts and to pave the way forward.
He
said the role of the GPPA is to monitor and evaluate the activities of the
procurement organizations in their conduct of procurement transactions in the
country.
Olivier
Barnouin, Lead EU Long term consultant to support the implementation of PFM
reforms in the area of procurement, said the training session was part of a
long-term action that has been developed for the benefit of procurement
organizations, and to sensitise all public procurement actors in government or
large projects.
He
said there is a new law, and they are trying to arrange training courses for
any institutions that are willing to benefit from the programme.
