The Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply (GIPS) is calling for a shift in the way public procurement is managed, arguing that government purchasing should be used deliberately to create markets for local businesses, support industrialisation and generate jobs.
President of GIPS, Dr. Simon Annan, said procurement and supply chain management should move beyond its traditional administrative role and become a strategic tool for delivering measurable economic outcomes.
He said government spending represents a major opportunity to expand demand for locally produced goods and services and strengthen domestic businesses.
“This is the time for the nation to connect procurement more directly to industrialisation, inclusive innovations, resilience and measurable national results,” Dr. Annan said.
He was speaking at the second edition of the National Procurement and Supply Chain Conference in Accra, held under the theme “Powering Transformation: Smart, Inclusive and Resilient Procurement and Supply Chains for National Development.”
Dr. Annan said procurement professionals should play a greater role in shaping policies and strengthening institutions rather than limiting their work to processing transactions.
“We have to move beyond reimagining procurement as a tool for national growth and reposition it to underpin the nation’s growth aspirations,” he said.
Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, whose speech was read at the conference, said public procurement should be linked more closely to industrial policy to create reliable markets for Ghanaian businesses.
“Government does not only spend, it also creates markets,” he said.
He said linking government procurement to industrial policy could encourage investment, strengthen local production and generate employment.
The approach could be particularly significant for small and medium-sized enterprises, which often face challenges accessing large markets and competing for major contracts.
GIPS Council Chair, Mrs Evelyn Sam, called for procurement systems that deliberately create opportunities for SMEs and emerging businesses while strengthening the resilience of domestic supply chains.
“Smart procurement should be driven by data and technology; inclusive procurement must create meaningful opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and emerging businesses,” she said.
She also stressed the need for supply chains that can anticipate disruptions, diversify risks and increase local capacity.
Dr. Annan also renewed GIPS’s call for the passage of the Procurement Practicing Bill, describing the proposed legislation as important for strengthening professional standards and ethical procurement practice.
He said competent and properly recognised procurement professionals were necessary to improve the quality of public and private sector procurement.
“We cannot advance world-class procurement outcomes without competent, ethical and properly recognised procurement professionals,” he said.
The two-day conference brought together procurement professionals, policymakers, business leaders, experts and academia to discuss measures for improving procurement and supply chain systems and their contribution to economic growth.
