Newscenter Media News The Federal Government has begun steps to review the existing Public Procurement Act in its determined measures to instil fiscal discipline in all expenditures.
To this end, President Bola Tinubu has appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, to drive the process, working with a special committee raised at the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) held at the State House, Abuja, Wednesday.
While the deliberations at FEC lasted, Tinubu directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to review their intended procurements as provided for in the appropriation act.
The directive, according to the president, is to ensure that where there are gaps between appropriated sums and the actual amount required to execute the projects, it can be brought to the attention of both the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, who made the disclosure while briefing newsmen after the FEC meeting, said, “President Bola Tinubu today, in line with the desire to enhance more fiscal discipline and further demonstrate to Nigerians our commitment to serving them better, raised the issue of the reconciliation between the appropriation act, public procurement law, and the fiscal responsibility act.
“FEC has set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to review the Public Procurement Act.
“After a robust discussion, the President directed that all ministries, departments, and agencies should review their intended procurement as provided for in the appropriation, such that where there are gaps between appropriated sums and amounts required to execute the projects, it can be brought to the attention of both the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and the Federal Ministry of Finance, such that the memo that the cabinet secretariat will provide to the FEC will have clarity of where funding is expected to come from and recommendations, so as to guide effectively the Federal Executive Council decisions.
“Mr. President directed that the report of the public procurement committee be provided to him so that he can take decisions accordingly.”
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