April 26, 2021
By: Audrey .R. John
The Chief Officer of the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) Ibrahim Brima Swaray has Officially Lunched the second quarter of the price norm at a colorful ceremony held at the ministry of finance conference hall George Street in Freetown.
In his statement before the launch, Ibrahim Brima Swaray said as part of the procurement team, he sees their discipline as a game changer in Sierra Leone. He said irrespective of what they are collecting in taxes or receive from donors in terms grant or loans if not spent properly nothing will change for the better.
The NPPA Chief further stated that the challenges we are facing today are sweet, because if we don’t have challenges we cannot move as a country or even have a job. He noted that ’NPPA has so much to offer Sierra Leoneans and Procurement practioners have all what it takes to change the dynamites of Sierra Leone
On the price Norms, Ibrahim Brima Swaray said the quarter is been improved and serves as a form of gathering series of information. He indicated that because the price norm is a law, they want to make the job easy for people that are practicing procurement. He added that it is the aim of the regulators to ensure that every part of the area is covered..
The NPPA chief said they will ensure that financial management is mainstreamed in this country for good resources management. He disclosed that form now onwards, every sales of bid will be deposited in an account and buyers only need to take their receipt to any MDA’s for any bidding document they want.
He further disclosed that an account has been opened at the central bank and others at UT bank, Sierra Leone Commercial bank and Rokel Commercial Bank for suppliers to buy through them. He also appreciated colleagues for a job well done and assured them that their discipline will be emulated.
Giving a brief history about the price norm, NPPA board chairman Alfred. H. Kanidoh said it started in 2003-2004 as a tittle pamphlet, a decision of the reform steering committee which thought it fit to have a rule book to guide prices.
Hon.Momodu Kargbo, former Deputy Minister of Finance, and it has become quite detailed under the leadership of the NPPA chief Ibrahim Brima Swaray.
He appealed to users and practioners to really take the price norm very seriously and look through it because a lot of effort and expertise have gone into it.
The Acting Director Procurement Directorate in the Ministry of Finance Fodie Konneh in his statement restated that the price Norm is a significant tool to ensure value for money.
He described the launch as strategic because it has a purpose and it is timely, in enhancing public finance management across the country. Fodie Konneh also stated that the price norm is a sacred document of price for all procurement practioners and other users of financial information. He also described the price norm as living organism and it has been launched to raise awareness and emphasize the strategic nature of the document
He reassured the support of the ministry in all aspect to protect the tax payers’ money. The launch of the second quarter was followed by questions and answers session that climaxed the ceremony