The institutions benefiting from this significant delegation of authority include the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Ministry of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Central Bank of The Gambia, the Independent Electoral Commission, and the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute.
These institutions authorised will conduct their procurement activities independently, with approvals for these activities granted by the heads of the respective public institutions.
Mr Phoday M. Jaiteh, director general of GPPA, explained that the authorisation process, as outlined in the Gambia Public Procurement Act 2022, represents their commitment to transforming and decentralising procurement activities across all sectors.
“Decentralisation empowers authorised organizations to manage their procurement needs independently, allowing for greater efficiency, swifter decision-making, and improve responsiveness to the unique demands of each sector,” he noted.
“The Public Procurement Act, specifically in sections 12 (3) and (4), mandates that organisations seeking to exercise this authority must undergo a thorough assessment by the GPPA,” he said.
He further deliberated that “this assessment ensures that they possess the necessary capacity, resources, and adherence to procurement standards that align with national objectives.”
He emphasised that GPPA does not constrain any organisation from conducting its own procurement; rather, “we facilitate and support their journey towards independence, provided they meet the standards set out by law. Thus, we encourage institutions to respond positively to our requests for assessment.”
“We remain committed to providing guidance and oversight to those who have not yet received authorization, and we encourage all institutions to embrace this opportunity.”
Receiving the certificate on behalf of the Clerk of the National Assembly, Kalipha M.M. Mbye, deputy clerk, Legal and Procedural Matters described the recognition as a milestone achievement for the National Assembly. “It manifests our internal procurement capacity out there after a rigorous independent assessment.”
He used the opportunity to congratulate the entire team of the Assembly Service for the adherence to the rule book.
