By Mohamed Fofanah.
The National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) has launched the second quarter of the 2021 Price Norm, making it a mandatory reference document to guide officials who ply their trade as procurement professionals across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country.
The Price Norm is a required blueprint document which is aimed at enhancing prudent public financial management system to achieve value for money in procurement activities, said Fodie J. Konneh, the Acting Director of Procurement, Public Procurement Directorate at the Ministry of Finance, on Thursday.
During the publication of the document at the Ministry of Finance Conference Hall in Freetown yesterday, the Chief Executive of NPPA, Ibrahim Brima Swaray said that the usual launch of the quarterly procurement document by the Authority is part of Government efforts to judiciously manage the country’s meager resources from drowning in bad procurement activities.
He added that the sacred document which usually updates prices of goods and services on a quarterly basis in newer editions will change the dynamics and also narrow the disparity in the prices of goods and services, whilst achieving uniformity in the process.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Brima Swaray implored procurement professionals to ensure fairness and transparency in the procurement processes, saying that it is a fight in the interest of the country to protect its meager resources. He also implored them to internalize the reference document which helps to guide their work in order to avoid embarrassment from Auditors.
