Monrovia – Finance and Development Planning Minister, Boima Kamara has been under heavy criticism for allegedly breaching Public Procurement & Concession Commission (PPCC) to purchase for himself a Ford Expedition Platinum (2016 edition).
Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
Documents in the possession of FrontPageAfrica show that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning purchased the vehicle on February 17, 2017, at the cost of US$70,000.00 from Prestige Motor Corporation.
“Refers to the cost of procuring two vehicles; one of which will be used for the Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs and the other for use by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
The Sole Source Method of Procurement will be used to procure the Minister’s vehicle from Prestige Motor Corporation” – PPCC Approved MFDP Procurement Plan
The purchasing of the vehicle, according to a memorandum issued to the Deputy Minister for Administration and Chief of Office Staff, Edward R. A. Kollie, was necessitated by an accident which the Minister was involved with on February 10, 2017 en route to Monrovia from the Gbarnga-Lofa border upon signing of the US$20 million financing agreement with Saudi Fund for Development.
The vehicle was then handed over to the General Services Agency (GSA) for marking.
Point of Contention
Documents obtained by FrontPageAfrica from the PPCC indicate that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning factored in the purchase of the vehicle in its procurement plan for the Fiscal Year 2016/2017.
The item which is numbered IFB No. MFDP/NCB/00916-17 with the description “vehicles” had the explanatory note: “refers to the cost of procuring two vehicles; one of which will be used for the Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs and the other for the use by the Minister of Development Planning.
The Sole Source Method of Procurement will be used to procure the Minister’s vehicle from Prestige Motor Corporation.”
The MFDP Procurement Plan was submitted to the PPCC on March 13, 2017 – two weeks after the vehicle was purchased and was approved on March 27, 2017. It is unclear why Sole Sourcing Method was used to purchase the vehicle.
Requesting Quotations
According to the Amended and Restated Public Procurement and Concession Act, the basic procedures for request of quotations are:
Quotations shall be requested in writing from as many bidders as practicable but from at least three bidders.
The request shall contain a clear statement of the requirements of the procuring entity as to the quality, quantity, terms and time of delivery, as well as any other special requirements.
Bidders shall be given adequate time to prepare and submit their quotations, but each bidder shall be permitted one quotation, which may not be altered or negotiated.
A purchase order may only be placed with the bidder that provided the lowest quotation meeting the delivery and other requirements of the procuring entity as stated in the request for quotations.
Sole Sourcing
The Amended and Restated Public Procurement and Concession Act, states that public procurement by means of single source procurement method is permitted only the following circumstances:
When only supplier has the exclusive right to manufacture the goods, carry out the works or perform the services to be procured and no suitable alternative is available; For additional deliveries of goods by the original supplier which are intended either as replacement parts for existing goods, services or installation or as the extension of existing goods, service or installations where a change of supplier or services is not meeting requirements of interchangeability with already existing equipment or services.
It also among other things, say in cases of extreme urgency, provided that the circumstances which gave rise to the urgency were neither foreseeable by the procurement entity not the result of dilatory conduct on its part; etc.
The PPCC requirement further indicates that the use of sole sourcing procurement on any of the grounds referred to in subsection (1) of 55 shall be subject to prior approval by the Commission.
“When requesting approval of a sole source procurement entity, the procurement entity shall provide the Commission with a statement of facts and reasons justifying use of the requested method under the applicable provision of such subsection (1).
Purchase Approved By PPCC
Though the vehicle was purchased before the submission and approval of the Ministry’s procurement plan, the PPCC Executive Director, Mr. Dorbor Jallah, told FrontPageAfrica told the purchase of the vehicle did not breach any of the PPCC laws as it was submitted in the procurement plan of the ministry with a request to a sole sourcing procurement method.
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning was officially informed of the approval of its procurement plan for the fiscal year on March 27, 2017, in a communication addressed to Deputy Finance Minister for Administration, Juah K. Fieka.
The communication, a copy of which FrontPageAfrica has obtained was signed by PPCC Executive Director Jallah.
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