Commission in infancy stage: PM

PRIME Minister James Marape, pictured, says the National Procurement Commission (NPC), which replaced the Central Supply and Tenders Board, is still in its infancy stage and will take time to be accepted into the system.
He was speaking during a panel discussion on the National Procurement Commission Reform hosted by the Papua New Guinea Australia Alumni Association last week.
Marape said: “The intention of the NPC is good, but operating that structure to the law we put in place, let’s give about six months or a year to the Finance Department to see because definitely there will be some teething issues, as provincial governments migrate from provincial supply and tenders board, as districts migrate from their own tenders board at the district level to having that unified structure will cause some tension among different layers of procurement.
“We hope that is the process this year where we iron out all these issues.
“My real greater intention is for us to have a one data system that is operating, and a procurement system that is more open, transparent where everyone knows what is happening right across the country.
“Those of you who will be using the system, you will find a little difficult in the early period as we try to engage the system.
“The system is meant to ensure that we engage and by having a better transparent system that protects us from abuse and wastage.
“Hopefully that has worked well, that two to five years from now, our citizens can depend on a very dependent procurement system that ensures we have efficiency and get value for money in contracts.”