GPPA trains staff on procurement review and management

Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA) have recently trained its staff on consultancy procurement review and management.

The two-day training held at Baobab holiday resort in Bijilo, aimed to ensure the value for money at work.

Juldeh Ceesay, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs said the average yearly expenditure on public procurement is about 60% of the government’s overall 5 billion dalasis budget, adding that a transparent public procurement process can easily save between 10 to 15% of the cost which translates to about 500 million dalasis annually to the government.

She said any training that will improve the capacity of GPPA management and staff will undoubtedly have a great impact in ensuring value for money in budget management in the country.

Mrs Ceesay highlighted that with the recent developments in E-government procurement, it is important that actors in the procurement field, especially the staff and management of the Authority are capacitated.

She expressed appreciation to the World Bank, African Development Bank and the European Union for their support.

Director general Abdoulie Tambedou said the public procurement Act of 2001 established the GPPA as a government regulatory body mandated to regulate public procurement system.

He said the 2003 procurement regulations, GPPA Act 2014, and the 2019 regulations are all geared towards improving transparency and making value for money in public procurement.

 Mr Tambedou told the participants that the last year training has aided the National Assembly in their assessments of the national budget during the financial year.