The government has maintained that there was no turning back on implementation of the Electronic Government Procurement (E-GP) System.
Public Investment and Asset Management PS Cyrell Odede said the train on E-GP rollout had already left the station and called on all public procuring entities to onboard the platform.
Odede said no procurement will be done outside the digital platform going forward, saying automation of all procurement processes from planning to payment would enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability.
Speaking while closing training of accounting and procurement officers from various counties on asset management at the Kenya School of Government, Embu Campus, the PS said the digitization drive was not just a technical upgrade, but fundamental shift in public financial management.
He said by automating procurement, the government was projecting to save up to Sh200 billion annually, which can be channeled to other development projects.
Consequently, Odede said all procuring entities are expected to forward their budgets, create users and begin the procurement planning in readiness for commencement of procurement process on the digital platform.
He noted that budgets for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) had already been uploaded in the system.
The PS said counties had been given up to September 9th to complete uploading of their budgets, noting that 30 counties had done so by Thursday, September 4.
He asked procurement heads in the counties to upload annual procurement plans in E-GP and ensure the plan is aligned with the approved budgets.
“The next step is approval and then you can commence your procurement processes,” he said.
The PS said by implementing E-GP, the government was going to reduce the cost of goods, works and services.
Odede enumerated the advantages of the shift from manual to digital procurement including enhancing efficiency by minimizing procurement cycle time, as well as maximizing value for money.
“We expect the system to enhance value for money by increasing transparency and competition in procurement, leading to reduced cost and quality of goods and services,” he said.
By Samuel Waititu
