A cross section of new members with the GIPS Executive Committee
The Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply (GIPS), has inducted new members into the Institute for their passion and commitment towards achieving sound procurement practices at an event held in Accra.
Out of the 127 members inducted include student members, Associate members, fellow members and honourary members.
Prof. Douglas Boateng, a seasoned industrialist, and an international chartered director who is also an engineer was inducted as distinguished fellow of the Institution.
Prof. Christopher Ameyaw Ekumfi, a former Minister of Education and a politician were among those admitted as honourary fellows of the Institute.
Speaking on the theme, “shaping the future of procurement and supply chain through professionalism, the President of GIPS, Simon Annan said GIPS as an Institution is aimed at creating a vibrant procurement chain that can champion-value driven and ethical procurement and supply in Ghana.
He said to help them achieve those goals, the Institute embarked on several activities since assumption of office in 2020 to ensure the passage of the procurement practicing bill.
According to him, in spite of the critical function of procurement in the development of the country, none of the government entities have procurement professionals on audit committees.
He, therefore, recommended the inclusion of procurement professionals on the various audit committees to help reduce procurement infractions which constitute about 70 per cent of audit findings.
Mr. Annan also lauded the contributions of all Institutions especially KPMG, GIMPA and several others that have worked towards providing technical support for the smooth passage of the procurement practicing bill.
Director General of Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Dr. Eric Oduro Osae for his part said procurement is key to the implementation of programmes and project in the development of the country hence the need for the government to regulate the procurement practice and supply chain management to enable it to get value for money.
“I urge Parliament and the government to consider the speedy passage of the Ghana Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Bill to regulate procurement professionals locally, provide statutory authority for the operation of GCIPS to facilitate consistency, standardization and uniformity in the application of procurement and supply chain management rules and practices in Ghana,” he added.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah