OPENING REMARKS BY THE ACCOUNTING OFFICER DURING INDUCTION AND SENSITIZATION OF CONTRACTS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, USERS, AND PDU ON THE PPDA LAWS AND REGULATIONS.(27TH FEBRUARY 2024)

Members of Contracts Committees Representatives from User Departments Members from PDU Ladies and Gentlemen.

I welcome you all to this half day training. I take this opportunity to thank PPDA for honouring our request to induct new Contracts Committee members and sensitize the UPF staff on the PPDA Act 2003 and the recently launched PPDA Regulations 2023 together with the new Guidelines.

UPF’s mandate is to maintain law and order as well as security country wide. UPF is a unique entity given the nature of our operations. Some of our procurements are classified and we also do handle a number of unforeseeable emergencies from time to time. This exerts enormous pressure on the contracts committee, PDU and Users in terms of the need to deliver in a very a short time. In this case contracts committee members may find themselves in a situation where they need to have abrupt sittings. In the recent past the entity has also encountered numerous challenges such as;

1. Influence of Suppliers; suppliers want to influence contracts award in their favour.
2. Inadequate market survey; suppliers may take advantage in quoting high prices which aren’t in line with the market prices.
3. Not well researched specifications where we quote brand names instead of generic names.
4. Vendor led procurements that compromise quality and entangle the entity into permanent “marriages”.
5. Information leakages to vendors with a view of sharing with reserve prices to win others.
6. At times contracts committee also takes long to approve and sign minutes and this causes a delay in submission to solicitor general’s if the procurement is at award level and yet this is a requirement for minutes to be fully signed.
7. Not embracing collective responsibility.
8. Request for price changes more especially after contract signing, this affects the contract performance.
9. Political and other high-level interventions.

The main objectives for the amendment of the Procurement laws were to create efficiency and effectiveness in the procurement process through the reduction of the procurement lead times and use of public procurement as a Socio-economic tool among other objectives. I’m aware that the statutory timelines have been reduced and timelines for contracts committee to make a decision have been introduced. It’s therefore important that members understand and appreciate the positive developments.

I’m hopeful that today’s engagement is aimed at highlighting those areas that will help all stakeholders in the procurements process perform better for improved service delivery to the citizens of Uganda.

I wish to acknowledge PPDA for continued contribution in promoting and supporting the public procurement and disposal function in Uganda since the enactment of the PPDA Act in 2003.

I therefore call upon all members to utilise this training opportunity to understand the PPDA Act, regulations and reforms and how they impact on the execution of your roles and responsibilities in the procurement function.

Please know that your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and your impact on our lives will never be forgotten. The gratitude in our hearts is immeasurable, and we will always hold you in the highest regard.

Thank you again for everything you have done for my son. Your expertise, compassion, and care have touched our lives in ways we cannot fully express.

Thank you for your attention!

As we protect and service.

For God and My Country.

Dr. Aggrey Wunyi.

Under Secretary Uganda Police Force.