GACC trains Northern stakeholders on public procurement, transparency and digital accountability

The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has organised a two-day workshop in Tamale to strengthen the capacity of individuals and institutions in northern Ghana on public procurement, transparency and the use of digital systems to promote accountability.

The workshop, which brought together participants from the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East and Upper West Regions, sought to improve access to procurement information and strengthen public oversight of government contracts across the northern part of the country.

Participants included representatives from the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), procurement-related agencies, procurement officers from Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and the media.

The first day of the workshop focused on training by officials from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS).

Participants were taken through the mandate and activities of the PPA, as well as the role of GHANEPS in promoting transparency, accountability and efficiency in public procurement.

The GHANEPS training also provided participants with practical knowledge on how to navigate and use the electronic procurement platform.

Media practitioners were particularly trained on how to search the platform for procurement-related information on projects and activities undertaken by their respective MMDAs.

Some journalists who spoke during the workshop said the training had given them a deeper understanding of the platform and would enable them to use GHANEPS as an important source of information in their reporting.

They also called on public institutions to regularly update their procurement activities on the platform to make relevant information easily accessible to the public and the media.

The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Mrs. Beauty Emefa Narteh, encouraged stakeholders to work closely together to increase the number of suppliers and contractors who register and participate in procurement opportunities available through GHANEPS.

She also urged procurement officers in both the public and private sectors to promptly update procurement activities on the platform to promote transparency and accountability.

The Executive Director of the Centre for Communities Education and Youth Development, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, commended the GACC for organising the workshop, saying it would go a long way towards improving transparency in public procurement.

He encouraged regular updates on the platform and closer collaboration among stakeholders, particularly with municipal procurement officers who are already familiar with the system.

The workshop also highlighted concerns over gaps in procurement transparency, with some assemblies and institutions found to be lagging behind in updating and making procurement information available through the electronic system.

Participants therefore called for stronger monitoring, regular updates and greater collaboration among procurement institutions, civil society organisations and the media to ensure that public procurement processes remain transparent and accountable.