Bunyoro leaders ask PPDA to disposed of 'rotting' assets in local governments
PPDA Executive Canon Benson Turamye said the office will regulate 446 entities and local governments, adding that the initiative is one of the authority’s strategies of extending service near to the people to ensure transparency, accountability and adherence to procurement procedures and guidelines.
The PPDA Executive Canon Benson Turamye speaking at the opening of the PPDA midwestern region offices. (Credit: Peter Abaanabasazi)
BUNYORO - Leaders in Bunyoro have urged the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) to intervene and ensure that abandoned, unvalued, and undisposed government assets rotting in different government entities and district local governments across the sub-region are disposed of.
Hoima City resident commissioner Haji Badru Mugabi explained that several district local governments and other government institutions procure new assets but hardly dispose of obsolete ones.
He cited neglected public properties ranging from vehicles, motorcycles, computers and furniture as he officiated at the opening of the PPDA mid-western region offices located at Kijungu cell in Hoima city on Thursday, July 16.
Mugabi said since the PPDA office has been opened in the region, their first assignment should be facilitating the disposal of government assets currently rotting in different government institutions.
“We have a mismatch between procurement and disposal, and yet by law disposal and procurement go hand in hand, so we have local governments that procure every year but hardly dispose of obsolete assets. When you go to police yards, they are 99% full. When you go to the yards of districts, you find rotting cars and motorcycles, yet if these assets get disposed of, the Government will be able to generate money,” he observed.
He noted that the office will enforce adherence to procurement procedures and guidelines, which sometimes are not adhered to by duty bearers.
He said there were several projects being implemented in Hoima city and Bunyoro at large, adding that an entity like PPDA needs to oversee them to ensure that procedures and guidelines are followed.
“Just in two years, government has spent more than sh3 trillion in this sub-region. Hoima city alone, two years ago, spent sh55b under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) programme, and now we have sh13b to spend under USMID.
Mugabi expressed excitement about the opening of the regional office in the area, adding that it was long overdue. (Credit: Peter Abaanabasazi)
Two years ago, we spent sh480b on Hoima City Stadium, and at Hoima regional referral hospital, we have a sh26b project being implemented. These are not normal figures we have to manage, and without expert support from an authority like PPDA, we might face issues ahead of us,” he stated.
“The opening of PPDA offices here is timely; there is a lot of investment by government in the sub-region; the construction of Kabalega International Airport, construction of oil roads, Hoima City Stadium and health facilities being upgraded- all these go through procurement processes. So, when the office is here, it provides an oversight role to ensure efficiency and effectiveness and value for money,” he said.
Isingoma challenged the PPDA office to give capacity building to local leaders in Bunyoro, saying most of them are ignorant about PPDA regulations and guidelines.
PPDA Executive Canon Benson Turamye said the office will regulate 446 entities and local governments, adding that the initiative is one of the authority’s strategies of extending service near to the people to ensure transparency, accountability and adherence to procurement procedures and guidelines.
“We really envisage that this office becomes the centre of excellence for procurement governance in Bunyoro sub-region, supporting districts, ministries, departments and agencies that we regulate, especially to comply with procurement rules and procedures, strengthening procurement planning and contract management, promoting fair competition and ultimately enhancing value for money for public expenditure,” he said.
However, he challenged the youth in the sub-region to get prepared by getting registered to take advantage of procurement, adding that PPDA provides 15 opportunities for the youth to share in public procurements.