Accra –Tuesday April 30, 2019: The Head of the Local Government Service, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur was the main speaker at the high-level forum organized by the Ministries Chapter of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Alumni. The forum which was held at the Engineers Centre, Roman Ridge was themed “Value for money on Public Infrastructure at the Local Level: The Role of the Teknokrat”. The forum was attended by high level government functionaries from various institutions.
The President of the KNUST Alumni, Ministries Chapter, Mrs. Cynthia Asare Bediako indicated the association’s commitment to harness its experience, knowledge and expertise to support government’s agenda of infrastructure and national development. She hoped that deliberations at the forum would reflect the varied meanings of value for money. According to her, that could be achieved through the commitment to finding lasting solutions to the huge infrastructure gap at the local level at the most optimal and effective cost.
The Main Speaker at the event, Dr. Nana Ato Arthur underscored the place of public procurement in the national quest to achieve value for money in public infrastructure delivery at the local level. He said in pursuit of value for money, duty bearers must ensure the proper use of the discretionary decision-making privileges available to them and as a matter of principle, Teknokrats must provide the best of experts’ advice in the implementation and delivery of projects. This he said would lessen delays in project delivery which hindered and blurred attainment of value for money. He admonished Teknokrats especially those in positions of influence to be trustworthy as that was key in championing the course of value for money.
The Guest Speaker and Senior Minister, Hon. Ing. Yaw Osafo-Maafo also bemoaned the complex nature of procedures in infrastructure delivery, “as this leads to delays in payments – a major challenge in trying to achieve value for money.” He said the delays created inconsistency in cost quotations by contractors and that could be addressed if technocrats took up the duty of exercising their knowledge and authority to effect the expected change.
Presentations were also made by Senior Teknokrats from various institutions including the Institute of Planners, Surveyors, Engineers and Architects who gave different perspectives to achieve value for money. Participants had opportunity during the open forum to share their ideas on the deliberations and which generated further discussions that helped shape the views of Teknokrats to commit themselves to the value for money principle in all undertakings at the local level.