Establish committees, official says

PROVINCIAL governments and district development authorities (DDAs) are not eligible to undertake the procurement of goods and services on behalf of the government, according to the National Procurement Commission (NPC).
NPC chief executive officer Simon Bole said this when commending the Western Highlands government for swearing-in their procurement board last week.
He called on all provincial administrators and DDA chairmen that had yet to establish their procurement committees to immediately write to the NPC – formerly the Central Supplies and Tenders Board – to facilitate their establishment.
Bole said a total of 35 procurement committees which included seven provinces, 19 districts and nine special procurement committees had been approved by the NPC board.
“Provinces and districts that have yet to establish their procurement committee are not eligible to undertake procurement because provincial governments and DDAs do not have legal standing to undertake procurement under the National Procurement Act 2018,” Bole said.
“We have already passed half way through 2020 and those districts and provinces that have yet to establish their procurement committee must immediately write to the NPC board seeking delegation of powers and approval to establish their procurement committee,” he said.
“Under the NPA, provincial governments and DDAs have no legal standing to undertake procurement,” he said.
“All procurement activities now comes under NPC and the NPC board will have to first delegate some of its procurement functions in compliance with the National Procurement Act to the provinces and districts through the procurement committees.”