Bridget John calls for professionalism in the procurement industry
Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) Executive Chairman, Bridget John said there is need for professional training in the industry to improve the current procurement processes in the country. She said training has been lacking in the industry and in response, the organisation is currently working in collaboration with local institutions including Botswana Accountancy College and University of Botswana. “We came up with a certificate programme which will be followed by the Masters programme. Procurement is very complex and we need to approach it in a professional manner,” said John, John highlighted to the Business Trends that PPADB currently has more than 20 certified trainers. “However we are also registered as a competent training institution for public procurement. So we have in house trainers,” she said. She pointed out that a significant amount of the annual budget (about 60%) goes to procurement hence the need to ensure that the funds are used efficiently and effectively and empower Batswana economically through a transparent, fair and accessible procurement system.“It is against this background that PPADB has come up with several measures to guard against corruption and bottlenecks in procurement,” she said. Speaking during the media capacity building workshop last week, PPADB Executive Director for supplies, Kgakgamalo Ketshajwang highlighted that public procurement practitioners are also required to adhere to the Code of Ethics for Public Procurement and Asset Disposal just as contractors are subjected to the Code of Conduct for Contractors. “The code was developed and finalized in 2018 and it is now in force. The development of the code is in line with Section 90 of the PPAD Act which mandates PPADB to ensure that a code of ethical behavior for procurement personnel is in place and enforced,” said Ketshajwang