The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) has revealed that the Authority is in final preparations to have public procurement go online through the roll out of the Electronic Government Procurement (E-GP).
The Authority’s new Executive Director Benson Turamye told stakeholders in Kampala recently that this will help the Authority transform from a “cumbersome centralized procurement system to a decentralized and participatory procurement system at the Procurement Disposal Entities (PDEs).”
The system which is web-based will cover the full procurement lifecycle, all procurement modalities, and keeps a record and audit trail of all procurement activities.
“The success of the e-GP system project will largely rely on stakeholder engagement. It is the people who make or fail systems. So we are equipping key stakeholders with relevant information on the new system and their role throughout the life- cycle of the project”, said Turamye.
E-GP is an initiative by Government in a bid to leverage ICT to promote efficiency in public procurement and to uphold government’s promise to the public on efficient and accountable governance.
The project, funded under the Regional Communication Infrastructure Program (RCIP) of the World Bank, will maintain efficient, complete and up-to-date public procurement information for all public entities of Uganda.
It will also provide tender opportunities to all potential national and international bidders.
Through e-GP, PPDA shall be able to pull reports and track progress of procurement and disposal processes of public entities.
The e-GP system will also provide a platform for transparency in procurement procedures and practices, improving efficiency in the procurement process by minimizing the procurement cycle time, maximizing value for money, and fostering accountability, improving confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of transactions between the procurement entities and the suppliers.
It will develop a common database and electronic trail of procurements to facilitate proper monitoring, reporting and planning of public procurements and increased compliance through providing a uniform platform that is well guided by the Procurement law of Uganda to be used by all Procuring and Disposing Entities (PDEs).
Earlier this year, Turamye implored local firms not to give up bidding for Government jobs. Hw said several efforts have been taken to eliminate corruption and bribe-solicitation.
The roll out will be piloted this coming financial year in selected ten Procuring and Disposing Entities (PDEs) that include Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda National Roads Authority, Kampala Capital City Authority, Civil Aviation Authority, National Information Technology Authority of Uganda (NITA-U), Public procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority, National Social Security Fund, Jinja District Local Government and Mpigi District Local Government.
