Contract Award - PNDP, MINMAP Harmonise Procedures

Stakeholders have been drilled on the code and procedures of PNDP donors in Limbe.

The rate of execution of FCFA 4 billion worth micro-projects sponsored by the National Community -driven Development Programme (PNDP) in collaboration with some 25 Councils in the South West Region is reported to be at less than 50 per cent. The low rate of execution of the projects financed by PNDP and the 25 Councils is attributed to the non mastery of contracts award procedures by Council officials, delay of award of contracts amongst others.

It is therefore against this backdrop coupled with the new reforms in the Public Contracts code that the South West Co-ordination unit of PNDP within the framework of a partnership agreement with the Public Contracts Regulatory Agency (ARMP) organised a two-day workshop to train officials of the Regional and Divisional Delegations of the Ministry of Public Contracts (MINMAP), tenders board members and Council authorities on contracts award procedures with regards to the Public Contract Code as well as the procedures of PNDP donors. The Limbe workshop from the 6-9 August 2013, facilitated by specialists from the ARMP Yaounde and the PNDP National Coordination Unit also sought to harmonise the Public Contracts award procedures and those of the World Bank and other PNDP donors to render public contracts more effective in the field.

According to the Regional Coordinator of PNDP for South West, Dr. Nkem David Atenchong, PNDP was initially working with the Councils tenders boards but with the coming of MINMAP and the new reforms in public contracts so many things have changed reason why the workshop was necessary to provide a common understanding of the public contracts code and the new reforms in order to step up the award of public contracts with MINMAP in the field.

The Secretary General at the South West Governor's office, Clement Fon Ndikum underscored the importance of the workshop stating that stakeholders involved in the public contract must master the procedures so that projects allocated for the benefit of the population are executed and on time. The scrupulous respect of public contracts procedures, he added, is one of the ways to ensure the development of the country reason why the government created the Ministry of Public Contracts in 2011.