Nominations for the five-member Public Procurement Commission close November 11, as the Public Accounts Committee moves to reconstitute the oversight body more than a year after the previous commissioners’ term ended.
A Parliament Office notice invited political parties, civil organisations, other stakeholders and individuals to propose candidates. Submissions must identify their sender or organisation.
Competence is the leading consideration, according to the notice, which also calls for the membership to reflect the country’s national and gender makeup as far as possible. Nominees should be reputable, with no criminal record or history of bankruptcy. The positions are part-time.
The Constitution requires commissioners to have expertise and experience in procurement, legal, financial, and administrative matters. Appointment follows a defined process: the PAC nominates candidates, at least two-thirds of the elected members of the National Assembly must approve them, and the President appoints them.
Members serve three-year terms. The commissioners choose their chairman and deputy chairman from among themselves. The Constitution requires the commission to be independent and impartial and to oversee procurement so that public purchases and works are fair, transparent, competitive and cost-effective.
The term rules prevent consecutive reappointment. A commissioner may serve one additional term only after at least three years have passed since the first term ended.
The previous fully constituted commission took office July 8, 2022, following a three-year hiatus, according to its own account published by DPI in July 2024. That account described difficulties re-establishing the commission and recruiting staff after earlier contracts expired.
The commission handed its 2022-2023 annual report to Parliament on July 3, 2024. It described that document as the first PPC annual report delivered for laying before the National Assembly, while acknowledging that formatting and printing problems had delayed its presentation.
Nominations should be addressed to the Clerk of the Committee, Public Accounts Committee, Committees Division, Parliament Office, Public Buildings, Brickdam, Georgetown. The reported invitation does not give a date for completing selection or making appointments.
The commission’s constitutional work extends beyond individual complaints. It monitors procurement bodies and systems, promotes understanding of the rules, reviews relevant legislation and investigates alleged irregularities or mismanagement. It can recommend remedies and refer matters to the police and Auditor General. Restoring its membership would therefore revive a layer of oversight covering both particular contracts and how procurement institutions operate.
