PPDA to launch Gulu office

By Billy Rwothungeyo

THE Public Procurement & Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) will officially launch its northern Uganda regional office in Gulu on Friday.

The public procurement regulator also plans to open the PPDA Western office in Mbarara Municipality later this year. Another office will be opened next year in Mbale town.

The new office block in Gulu municipality is located on Plot 1, Lower Churchill drive opposite Acholi Inn.

The opening of these regional offices is in line with the authority’s strategic goals to promote transparency and accountability in public procurement.

Prior to the procurement reforms that culminated into the formation of PPDA in 2003, public procurement was done centrally.

The new regime decentralized procurement—and today, ministries, government departments and government agencies and district local governments have their own Procuring and Disposing Units (PDUs).

However, all the activities of these Procuring and Disposing Entities (PDEs) are regulated by PPDA, which has always had one office in Kampala.

“Through these offices, our staff will be closer to the entities, the providers and people who access the PPDA services. I would like encourage all entities to make the most of the services that are now being provided at our regional office,” Cornelia Sabiiti, PPDA Executive Director said the latest procurement digest published by the authority.

The authority, and the Uganda Road Fund, is also building a new office block in Nakasero which will be shared by the two government agencies. Currently, PPDA rents space at the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) towers, also in Nakasero.