A Bill for the Amendment of the Public Procumbent Act 2007, was read for the third time on Thursday in the House of Representatives.
The Bill, sponsored by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, seeks to add a new member to the council.
It also seeks to amend the procedure for appointing the Director-General of the Bureau and extend the application of the Act to Defence procurements.
Dogara emphasised that the amendment infused in the Public Procurement Act would ensure that Nigeria got value for money through smoother implementation of national budgets as passed and would help to resuscitate the economy.
According to him, the chairman of the National Council for Public Procurement will now be appointed by the President.
“This is to replace the Minister of Finance whose ministry is adjudged to be a procurement entity and cannot sit on procurement matters that may potentially concern the Ministry of Finance.
“You obviously know that is contrary to the principle of natural justice, where you sit as a judge on your own matter,” Dogara said.
He also said because of its professional role in procurement, the National Council of Public Procurement would now include a member of the Institute of Quantity Surveyors.
“The appointment of the director-general of the council will now be subject to confirmation by the Senate. You will recall that this part of the law has been very difficult to implement.
“The amendment also seeks to shorten the procurement time by the Bureau of Public Procurement.
“Right now, if you commence procurement process, it lasts for not less than four months.
“We feel that this is very restrictive and will not serve the needed planning and implementation of projects that are of national priority”, he said.
According to the Speaker, the Bill also seeks to increase mobilisation fees payable to contractors from 15 per cent to more than 50 per cent.
“The bill also seeks to make it a criminal offence to abscond or not to carry out works commensurate to fees paid.
“This is what the National Assembly seeks to achieve and we hope that as soon as this is transmitted to the President for assent, he will quickly assent to it,” Dogara said. (NAN)
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