By Daniel Eteghe

Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Engineer Emeka Eze has disclosed that the Bureau has generated over N420 billion in contract sums as savings to the coffers of the Federal Government in the past 15 months.

Disclosing this development during the opening ceremony of a retreat for chief executive officers in Federal Government ministries, departments and agencies at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), in Topo, Badagry in Lagos, Eze pointed out that the reduction in contract sum was to further emphasise the core value of the Bureau as the drive of public procurement is to ensure prudence in public expenditure.

According to him, BPP will work hard to ensure that the cost of doing business in Nigeria is reduced through the elimination of multiple registration and pre- qualification as well as tendering process that should be increased to give chance for equal competence and capabilities.

He said:”BPP will continue to ensure that there is transparency in the bidding process for contracts in Nigeria, as all competent contractors will be given a level playing field to demonstrate their capacity to deliver.” “Public officials are now also beginning to see public funds as monies to be spent with care, and with high sense of responsibility. Added to these gains are a resultant improved budget implementation and performance in terms of project delivery.”

“So far more than N420 billion have been reduced in contract sum in the last fifteen months alone, in what further emphasises the core role of the bureau as the drive of public procurement, and as an organisation whose role encourages prudence.

“It is our hope that as the programme develops, the cost of doing business in Nigeria would be reducing through the elimination of multiple registration and pre – qualification and the tendering process should increase at the end of the day, coupled with the better grouping of contractors, consultants and service providers of equal competence and capacities.”