Challenges in the implementation of the public procurement ACT, 2003(act 663) in the District Assemblies (a case study of Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly)

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2015-03-24
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The aim of this Dissertation is to identify challenges in the implementation of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) at the District Assembly level. The objectives are to identify some of the causes of these challenges in the implementation of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly, and also identify the effects of the implementation of the Act, using the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly as a case study. The research was conducted using questionnaires, exploratory interviews and reviewed literature. The findings were that the procurement plan preparation was time-involving and thus has the high tendency of being ignored or delayed in preparing it. It was not easy to strictly adhere to the procurement plan preparation before commencement of procurement. Procedurally, the procurement plan would however have to be prepared before procurement commences. It further revealed that there is no procurement unit and this makes officers like the Works Engineer, the Planning Officer or the Stores Manager initiate and do the procurement on behalf of the Assembly. The quarterly review of the procurement plan is hardly done by the Entity Tender Committee. Evaluation Panel for projects are apparently permanent, that is, same people appear to be doing the Evaluation all the time. Publishing of notice of Procurement Contract Awards including the non-successful tenderers is not done but occasionally for the notice of Award to the successful tenderer. Lastly is the non-availability of funds for projects. All the above have their attendant consequential effects/impacts like delays in project completion, contract price increase, and fraudulent practices/connivance of suppliers or contractors with officers. Permanent evaluation panels breed corruption, stampeding the Public Procurement Act‟s objectives. vi The use of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) is useful since it serves as a guide in Public Procurement bringing about orderliness. Strict adherence to the Procurement Plan, though difficult, would ensure that all spending would have been budgeted for but funds would mostly not be available even supposing the procurement plan had been readily prepared and to be followed. It is recommended that, there should be a periodic review and monitoring, say quarterly, by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) for compliance to the Act by Procurement Entities. Bureaucratic tendencies when seeking various approvals from the PPA must be minimised. Procurement as a discipline must be encouraged. Government should ensure that cash flows are not erratic. Persons found culpable of the Act‟s offences should be penalised.
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Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MSc. in Procurement Management, 2014
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