Kumasi: The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), in collaboration with the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), has conducted an engagement aimed at enhancing the capacity of stakeholders to address procurement issues and bolster monitoring efforts across the nation.
According to Ghana News Agency, this initiative was designed to increase the understanding of public sector officials, civil society organisations, and media practitioners regarding the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS). This effort is a component of GACC's project titled 'Building Evidence for Increased Accountability in Ghana through a Multi-Stakeholder Accountability Initiative,' which receives funding from the Hewlett Foundation.
The engagement, which took place over two days in Kumasi, is part of a zonal capacity-building exercise that targets the northern, middle, southern, and coastal zones of Ghana. The event welcomed representatives from the Local Accountability Networks (LANets), procurement officers from Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs), and members of the media.
Mr. Solomon Yankah, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of GACC, emphasized the importance of the exercise in enhancing the understanding of procurement officers active in various regions and MMDAs. It also aimed to equip civil society organizations and the media to monitor procurement issues more closely and support nationwide monitoring efforts. He highlighted that a significant portion of corruption in Ghana occurs within the procurement sector, which accounts for between 50 and 75 percent of the government's annual expenditure.
Mr. Yankah further explained the critical need to improve stakeholders' skills and capabilities to meet the objectives of GHANEPS, which include promoting transparency, fairness, competitiveness, and access to information. Looking ahead, the GACC expects participants to train colleagues who could not attend the training. Meanwhile, civil society organizations and the media are encouraged to follow up on the annual procurement plans of their respective MMDAs to ensure compliance.
He stated that the training is a starting point, with the GACC planning to follow up with participants. He noted that scrutiny from citizens and the media often prompts assemblies to address procurement matters appropriately. GACC has developed a series of follow-up actions to ensure the training's impact is sustained beyond the workshop.