Curiosity
Prior to the appointment of members of the Public Pro-curement Commission (PPC) this year, the question that comes to mind is what was the responsibility of Cabinet in the award of contracts over $15 million? The question is linked to the ‘No Objection’ role of Cabinet in the contact award process and the interpretation of that role. In discussing the Procurement (Amendment) Bill of 2013, the ‘No Objection’ role was explained to the National Assembly by the then government as one that enabled the government to be satisfied that “all the steps, the process and the awarding of the contracts were done in accordance with international best practices and to the satisfaction of the procuring entity”.
This writer is now optimistic that the risks to public finances can be reduced if not eliminated now that the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is in place. This article seeks to explain this view.