The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has launched a new Public Procurement Database Registration Portal to ensure higher level of information, publicity and transparency on public procurement issues to address concerns of the supplier eligibility in Ghana’s public procurement system.

This is to win back public confidence in the procurement process.
In view of this, all suppliers, contractors and consultants interested in government tenders must, as a matter of law, register with valid documents as per supplier qualification requirements of Section 22 of Act 663 as amended.

The registration could be done on the newly-developed Centralised Supplier Registration Portal available on www.ppaghana.org at an initial registration fee of GH¢300 and $200 for local and foreign firms respectively, using any of the electronic payment systems and an annual renewal of GH?100 and $100.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PPA, Agyenim Boateng Adjei, noted that there have been other initiatives used by Authority to award contracts.
But, he explained that this database initiative is a unique one which every supplier has to go through before securing government contracts.

In an interview with The Finder, he said “this initiative is unique because it will win public confidence on how government businesses are awarded to suppliers”.

He said the process would bring about a number of benefits, such as procuring entities having the necessary assurances that these service providers enlisted on the PPA database were credible and worthy of transacting business with government, especially when they would have to rely on this database for the selection of service providers for Single Source, Restricted Tendering and Request for Quotations procurement methods or even other procurement procedures, such as Framework Agreements.

Another benefit, he said, is that suppliers will be relieved of the burden of multiple registrations at various procuring entities, which eventually increases their cost of doing business.

Mr Adjei said companies would be issued with certificates after successful registration, adding that companies which do not register with the PPA’s Centralised Database would not be considered eligible in Ghana's Public Procurement Process.

The idea behind the Central Supplier Database is to centralise supplier's data to simplify government's procurement processes.

Mr Adjei noted that the supplier registration process would serve as a strategic initiative to prepare the nation for the soon-to-be-rolled Electronic Government Procurement System.

He lauded the National Investment Bank (NIB) for believing in the Public Procurement Database Registration initiative and for offering to develop the portal at no cost to the Authority.

“It is our hope that all well-meaning Ghanaians will support this initiative and ensure its effective implementation in the country. Remember, “No Registration, No Government Contract,” he stressed.

Mr Adjei said the PPA had zonal offices in Kumasi and Takoradi and that plans were underway to open new ones by the close of the year in Tamale to cater for the three northern regions and in Ho to cater for the Volta and Eastern Regions.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, “all documentations will go through a rigorous vetting process for verification and validation to establish their credibility to engage in government tenders and executive contracts.”

Professor Douglas Boateng, PPA Board Chairman, who officially launched the portal, said it would offer companies a lot of opportunities to do business with government.

He said it would also help the government to know better those with whom it was conducting business.

An insight was provided at the press conference on the development and some policy interventions that the PPA has developed to enhance the process of validating supplier eligibility for government contracts.

Section 22 of Act 663 as amended expect tendering firms to have directors and officers who have not been convicted of any criminal offence relating to the professional conducts, false statement or misrepresentation to their qualification to enter into a procurement contracts.

Some requirements attached to the application that will qualify the supplier for government contracts, include business registration certificate, valid Value Added Tax (VAT) registration certificate, valid Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) registration certificate, Ministry of Works and Housing certificate, Labour Certificate (where applicable) and Ministry of Roads and Highways certificate.

The introduction of this database will enhance the credibility and worthiness of suppliers in transacting business with the government as well as relieve suppliers of multiple registrations that come at increased cost.
Additionally, suppliers will receive push notification of tender notices in their area of businesses.

These are some benefits that suppliers will enjoy when they embrace this initiative.

The Deputy Managing Director of National Investment Bank (NIB), Alfred George Kojo Thompson, said NIB competed for the contract with four other banks and emerged winners and developed the database at no cost.

He also disclosed that NIB has developed a similar database for Ghana Water Company Limited, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), to mention but few.

He said plans were also in the pipeline for the construction of such projects for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Tema Development Corporation (TDC).