We accept proposals for amendment of Act 663 -Sam

Mamponteng (Ash), Dec 19, GNA - Mr Kwesi Abbey Sam, Chairman of the Public Procurement Board, has said it would not be out of place for metropolitan, municipal or district assemblies to submit proposals or suggestions for the amendment of the Public Procurement Act.

He said any proposals or suggestions that would be submitted to the Procurement Board would be presented to Parliament for approval and subsequent amendment of the Act.

Briefing the Kwabre District Assembly at an emergency meeting at Mamponteng on Friday on the "Public Procurement Act", Mr Sam said until an amendment was made the act would continue to be used as the document for procurement of goods, works and services in the country.

He said under the Act, which is to ensure that public procurement was carried out in a fair, transparency and non-discriminatory, the authority for procurement lies in the hands of the entities.

''District assemblies have the responsibility for all the procedures of procurement. They only go to a review board for approval if the size of procurement is above their threshold.''

He stressed the need for metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to keep records of performance of contractors and give contracts to people who perform.

"If we do that there will be tremendous improvement and progress in our endeavours to enhance good governance and the decentralisation process", he said.

Madam Agatha Nketia of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, urged members of the assembly to be abreast with the various items in the Act.

Touching on the Financial Administration Act, she said the government would set up tribunals that would empower the Value Added Tax Secretariat and the Internal Revenue Service to prosecute tax defaulters.