At an annual general Seminar of the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), the Chief Executive of the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA), Ibrahim Brima Swaray, spoke of Foreign Direct Investment in Sierra Leone.
Standing on all existing policies he mentioned, “There is no country that can attract foreign investors if the models listed below are not seriously controlled and by achieving them also the government of that particular day is termed as a successful government.
- Accountability
- Transparency
- Responsiveness
- Equity
- Effectiveness
- Respect for rule of Law
- People’s participation
- Solid and cogent Orientation.
‘Demystifying them one after the other, the CEO stated boldly that the government collects our monies and later provides goods and services for the citizens which he posed the rhetorical question to all students. Have we ever thought of the many reasons why we have spoken so much about FDI and it does not reflect in the economy,’ he asked.
He added that the NPPA does not buy for the government, but rather ensures that the money given for a particular purpose is met within the ambit of the rules of the NPPA. He pointed glaringly that the NPPA and the anti-corruption are working closely as the NPPA is on the preventive side of corruption whereas; the ACC is on the enactment side of corruption. The NPPA ensures that there is value for money.
“I took over office where procurement officers just buy at any price they feel,” he stated. He added that over the months, the NPPA has saved the government a huge sum by advising them on buying goods that are not of economic benefit which will be a liability to the government, because of his level of transparency he has established price norms in which there is uniformity among MDAs in the Procurement process.
In his exact words, there has been no room for competition and improvement which he swiftly spoke on the reason why many MDAs do Procurement without allowing due processes all in the name of corruption which they coin as urgency that is one of the many reasons for the dwindling of the then NPPA.
He added that many governments have played their parts and gone and that the sitting dispensation and that the NEW DIRECTION because of these fabulous projects in not so many days from now Sierra Leone will officially open the DIRECTORATE OF ELECTRONICS and GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT which will accommodate all procurement activities to be done using electronics to enhance the confidence of the people, to enhance donors trust and to enhance confidence by Foreign Investors.
This session which many called not just educative, but motivational because of the CEO’s speech on behalf of NPPA which he climaxed by saying, “I did not leave the shores of Sierra Leone to acquire education elsewhere all I have now I owe it to IPAM and therefore if you think you are small then you will not start, believe in yourself and move away from your comfort Zone”.
The students busted into spontaneous ovation for a masterpiece presentation of the CEO of NPPA.
