The Public Accounts Com-mittee (PAC) of Parliament is in the process of nominating persons to be members of the long-awaited Public Procurement Com-mission (PPC) and is inviting interested stakeholders to submit names of nominees for consideration.
Following a number of controversies in relation to procurement, there have been numerous calls over the years for the establishment of the PPC which is provided for in the law but successive governments have failed to set up the commission.
In recent ads in the newspapers, Parlia-ment Office said that the PAC is in the process of nominating persons to be members of the PPC. It was noted that Article 212X (1) of the Constitution states that “the Public Pro-curement Commis-sion shall consist of five members who shall have expertise and experience in procurement, legal, financial and administrative matters” and (2) the President shall appoint the members of the Commis-sion after such members have been nominated by the Public Accounts Committee and approved by not less than two-thirds of the elected members of the National Assembly.
This would mean that the candidates would have to have the approval of both sides of the House.
“In addition, it is the wish of the PAC that the composition of the Public Pro-curement Commis-sion would reflect, as far as possible, the social, gender and political makeup of the country,” the ad said. It pointed out that the nominees should first and foremost be competent to carry out the required duties.
“The usual considerations regarding the need to be of good repute, without criminal records and no history of bankruptcy, apply,” the ad said.
It added that in keeping with the decision of the PAC to seek names from a reasonably wide cross section of society, the PAC is inviting stakeholders, political parties, civil organisations as well as individuals, who have an interest in the establishment and proper working of the PPC, to submit the names of persons eligible to be considered as Commissioners.
The Commissioners, once appointed, would be part-time. The Committee has set a deadline for those interested to submit the names of nominees no later than 2pm on Decem-ber 23 to the Clerk of the Com-mittee, Public Accounts Commit-tee, Public Build-ings, Georgetown.
For years the PPP/C while in office had haggled with the PNCR, APNU and the AFC over candidates for the PPC and how many should be nominated by either side.
The PAC is chaired by former PPP/C Minister, Irfaan Ali.
