FG Moves to Debar Fraudulent Contractors, Service Providers The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) yesterday introduced the Debarment Procedure to punish as well as serve as deterrent to corrupt procurement related practices by suppliers, contractors and service providers. Debarment entails the prohibition of a person or company which had been convicted of criminal acts in connection with an application from taking part in future applications. The Director General of the BPP, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, said the proposed anti-corruption mechanism could have defaulters barred from doing businesses in the country for up to a period of five years, including a fine equivalent to 25 per cent of the value of the procurement in question. Speaking in Abuja, at the opening of a one- day stakeholders’ forum on Debarment Procedure, Ezeh disclosed that about 13 companies had already been blacklisted for contravening the Procurement Act. Though he did not disclose their identities, he said the debarment model had become handy given that court cases had often ended in disappointments. The BPP boss likened the debarment policy to “the old traditional institution of social sanction: when you do something as a criminal, the community would bring you to the market square and say this person comes from the family known to be thieves and everybody will stop dealing with you.” He said: “So that is even more effective than trying to go to court and you’ll be there forever and then nothing happens.” The BPP Director General explained that the debarred companies had among other offences offered monetary inducement to people and generally misrepresenting facts as well as lied about their capabilities with a view to changing the outcome of a procurement process. Ezeh said the bureau was empowered by the Public Procurement Act 2007 to develop a robust debarment procedure to give the desired effect to tackling grafts in the procurement system. Also at the BPP workshop yesterday, the Head of Service of the Federation (HoS), Alhaji Bukar Goni- Aji, said President Goodluck Jonathan had finally approved the relocation of the procurement cadre in the civil service to the office of the BPP. He said government would provide the necessary support to ensure the full implementation of the debarment procedure once the template had been agreed on by all the key stakeholders. Goni-Aji said the current procurement reforms were central to President Jonathan’s transformation agenda aimed at the overall development of the country. The HoS said: “The debarment procedure as being proposed by the bureau will ensure that only credible, ethical and capable contractors and service providers are invited to participate in the tender process in the country.” The former HoS, Mr. Steve Orasanye, in his remarks, said the proposed mechanism would discourage sharp practices and give good value for money. He said the move would make contractors conform with laid down rules as they would not want their reputations to be dented. On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, also welcomed the BPP initiative and called on suppliers and contractors to step up their conduct with government businesses. Represented by his secretary, Mrs. Jamila Soar, Anyim said government would immediately implement the proposed measures to sanitise the procurement system.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 08:04:28 +0000
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