The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has inaugurated a 17-member Steering Committee to oversee the successful implementation of the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS).

GHANEPS is being implemented under the e-Transform Project, which is being undertaken by the Ministry of Communication with funding support from the World Bank.

Electronic procurement or e-Procurement promotes transparency in all operations, ensures uniformity in procedures and consistent application of international standards for the procurement of Goods, Works, and Services and for asset disposal. This is to foster competition, efficiency, and transparency in the procurement process whilst leveraging on Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Mr. Frank Mante, the Acting Chief Executive of Public Procurement Authority(PPA) and the Chairman of the Steering Committee, in his remarks at the inaugural ceremony Wednesday, indicated that, for the successful implementation of a project such as the GHANEPS, which covers multiple Government organizations across the country, it is imperative to have collaboration and coordination among key stakeholders.

He added that the implementation of GHANEPS is one such project where the key challenge is not in setting up a functional technology platform, but more in getting all the stakeholders to buy-in and adopt the platform for day-to-day procurement activities.

The high-powered steering Committee has members with expertise cutting across multi-sectoral, professional, and Civil Society Organizations. The other members include; Mr. Augustine Blay, Secretary to the Vice-President, Eric Victor Appiah from PPA, Ruth Ferkah representing the Ministry of Communication, Rebecca Okai Hammond-representing the E-Transform Project, Golda G. Asante from the Office of the Head of Local Government Service, Fred Charles Forson representing the Office of the Head of the Civil Service, Raynold Quarshie from the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, Alexander Koomson representing the Ghana Audit Service.

The rest are; Marian Deladam of the Internal Audit Agency, Frank Ademan representing State Interest and Governance Authority, Kwame Jantuah of the Association on Ghana Industries (AGI), Beauty Emefa Narteh of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Stella Addo of Chattered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), Araba Kudiabor, representing the Ghana Health Service, a representative from the Ministry of Finance and a representative of the Ghana Institute of Engineers. Mr. Kwame Prempeh, the Deputy Chief Executive of PPA, who leads the GHANEPS Secretariat, will serve as Secretary to the Steering Committee.

The Committee was sworn in by the outgoing Chairman of PPA, Professor Douglass Boateng, who affirmed his confidence in the committee and urged members to be committed to this important national assignment. He also emphasized that e-procurement is the future and GHANEPS stands to save the country millions of dollars on annual basis.

The mandate of the Steering Committee includes the facilitation and provision of inputs to the formulation of policies and procedures required for the implementation to enhance the rate of adoption. They would also monitor and supervise the implementation progress on a regular basis and provide appropriate guidance to ensure the roll-out of GHANEPS to all Public Procurement Entities.

The Roll-Out has been ongoing since 2019 and there are currently 242 Public Entities on the system. The expectation is to have the entire estimated 660 Public Entities on the system by October, 2023. This includes; all MDAs, MMDAs, State-Owned Enterprises, Hospitals and Tertiary institutions.