FG to harmonise procurement process

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The Federal Government has deployed a new portal called the price
checker to harmonise prices and ensure transparency in the procurement
process.
The Head, Regulation and Database, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP),
Mr Aliyu Aliyu, said this at the sensitisation of procurement officers
on price checker and e-procurement on Thursday in Abuja.
The sensitisation was organised by the Efficiency Unit of the Ministry
of Finance in collaboration with BPP.
The Efficiency Unit was created in 2015 to ensure the most efficient
use of resources with all opportunities to make savings, avoid waste,
block leakages and increase productivity.
Aliyu said that the platform was designed to allow vendors of
non-customised goods to upload their prices to allow for a more
transparent procurement process.
He added that “this is to ensure that government at all levels do not
spend money on excessively priced items.”
Aliyu said that the price-checker was not confined to the Federal
Government because states that were desirous of such solution were
already demanding for it.
He added that the portal became necessary with the use of the
Government Integrated Financial Management Information System
(GIFMIS).
He, however said that it was within the BPP’s mandate to come up with
various regulations and frameworks to guide the implementation of the
portal.
Head, Efficiency Unit Mr Ojonimi Imaji said the portal will eradicate
the disparities experienced in government procurement in the past.
He said that the price checker was targeted at non-customised items
such as computer equipment, stationery, vehicles and other office
equipment.
According to him, it is not intended to change the procurement process
as it is today, rather, it is to enhance it.
He added that the main objective was to build a scalable and
sustainable system to access real-time information on prices of goods.
He noted that it would also be used to calculate the prices of goods
against the budgeted price and control the prices stated in the budget
across MDAs.
He added that it would also generate an electronic market survey
report to serve as guide for contract negotiation and contract award,
explaining that “instead of physically going out to meet vendors to do
market survey, you can now do it in the comfort of your office or from
a device wherever you are.”
He, however, said that as a vendor, being on the platform would not
guarantee qualification for patronage by government.
He said that the criteria for any vendor to qualify to be patronised
by government contained in the Public Procurement Act (PPA) was still
applicable.

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