NFA CONDUCTS ORIENTATION ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT SYSTEM
As part of its reform measures for good governance, the National Food Authority (NFA) held a two-day Procurement Management Efficiency Enhancement Program with a special discussion of the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) pursuant to Sec. 75 of Republic Act 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act. The IRR seeks to prescribe necessary rules and regulations for the modernization, standardization, and regulation of the procurement activities of the Government of the Philippines.
Resource speaker, Atty. Salvador C. Malana III, said there is a great need for every government agency or instrumentality to study the advantages, nuances and rudiments of the procurement planning process to achieve economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace. He pointed out, however, that RA 9184 is not public procurement system but only a portion of the system.
Atty. Malana emphasized that the procurement planning process undergoes three major phases: preparation and planning, contract acquisition and contract implementation. "Each phase (most especially preparation and planning), necessitates careful thought and consideration as there are too many cases filed against government officials due to problems with the law (RA 9184) and its implementation," he said.
About 40 participants composed of the members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Technical Working Group, BAC Secretariat as well end-user departments and offices of the NFA attended the orientation program which also served as venue for consultation and deliberation on various issues and concerns related to procurement requirements and procedures.
One of the major concerns of NFA Administrator Jason Laureano Y. Aquino when he assumed office is to establish transparency in all the operations and systems within the agency. One is to ensure that all transactions especially in matters of procurement are above-board. Another is to raise the competencies of all personnel involved in procurement activities, especially BAC members.