The PPCC says that due to its limited budget, trained procurement staff seek employment opportunities elsewhere.
By Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, April 3, 2024: The Public Procurement Concession Commission (PPCC) Executive Director, Mr. Bodger Scott Johnson, says the limited budget has challenged the PPCC’s ability to regulate and monitor public procurement compliance nationwide efficiently.
Due to the limited budget, Mr. Johnson said trained procurement staff seek employment opportunities elsewhere.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information’s special press briefings on Tuesday, 2 April 2024, Mr. Johnson said they are more often replaced by untrained procurement staff, resulting in the procuring entities’ inability to spend their budgetary allocations in a timely manner.
The PPCC Executive Director Johnson explained that the commission is getting close to concluding the development of a robust Electronic Governance Procurement (EGP) system to address the problem across the country.
Johnson explained further that the replacement of trained staff by untrained procurement staff has been creating procurement backlogs and delays in the development agenda of the Liberian government.
He said an international software developer from Europe was contracted to develop the EGP system using the software as a service (SAAS) model.
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“The EGP system will be able to automate most of the manual procurement processes inherent in individuals’ discretion, which are the greatest vulnerability and highest risk in public procurement,” he noted.
He further noted that the system will allow for online submission and approval of major procurement documentation and enhance the bidding processes through the online submission of bid documents.
He added that this will link with other online platforms, including the integrated financial management information system (IFMIS), the revenue portal of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), the Liberia Business Registry, the National Social Welfare Corporation (NASCROP), and the banking sector.
“The EGP system is expected to go live in July 2024 and will initially be piloted by six ministries, agencies, and commissions (MACs) before being rolled out to the other government entities.”
