The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) is pressing for government to engage more professionals in public procurement in order to effectively curb corruption.
According to the institute, the corrupt acts witnessed during procurement by state institutions could be largely curbed if professionals are engaged in the process.
CIPS Director, Duncan Brock said “When you see a corrupt practice taking place, you don’t only blame the one practicing the corrupt act but the one tasked with the duty to create obstructions, as in, to block that process.
“As a country, we cannot totally obliterate people who are corrupt in mind. What we can do is to create barriers so that they are not able to engage in their corrupt practices”
The Ministry of Procurement is already in this light working with the Attorney General’s Department to prosecute government officials who engage in illicit procurement deals.
Mr. Brock says this needs to be buttressed with engagement of professionals in the procurement process.
“Procurement is very integral part of the processes that government uses to transact business. Procurement professionals are important in this for two reasons: they help you to get value for money and also help establish tools to block those routes that politicians and other stakeholders use to corrupt a procurement process” he explained.
“An example of a procurement process that was going to cause wastage of over four billion dollars is, the Bank of Ghana contract was to be signed with Sibton Switch Systems” he added.
Major milestone
The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, CIPS has now been officially granted professional body status in Ghana to represent the Procurement and Supply Chain profession.
This empowers CIPS to drive the professional procurement agenda in and outside Ghana by raising of standards in the Procurement and Supply Chain profession through its professional qualifications and research.
“CIPS Ghana is the second to be granted professional body status in Africa after that in South Africa. CIPS Director, Duncan Brock told to JOY BUSINESS, this is a major milestone in Ghana’s quest to produce more procurement professionals”
“This is a major Prior to this, there was no such institute in Africa except for South Africa. The reason this institute was established here is to help train a lot of procurement professionals. It’s my hope that both private and public institutions will bring their officers here to be trained properly” he noted.
New Office
CIPS has also opened a new office in Accra to cement the feat. The new CIPS Ghana office is a Knowledge Resource Centre to be managed by Country Manager, Stella Aku Addo (FCIPS).
Speaking to JOY BUSINESS at the opening, Duncan Brock, CIPS Director said, “CIPS is delighted to have been given this recognition as we start our official journey in Ghana.
“CIPS is the only professional body in the world to set the Global Standard and promote a Code of Conduct for procurement and supply practice and we are delighted to be able to better support our Ghanaian community.”
