FG Introduces New Procurement Price Checker To Lagos

In order to eliminate the bottlenecks associated with manual price survey in the procurement list of items in budgetary provisions, the Federal Ministry of Finance on Tuesday introduced a price checker portal to the Lagos State Government for consideration.

The price checker portal, which could be accessed by states, local government areas and agencies, will contain updated prices of all procurement items that are uploaded by different vendors for use by contractors.

The Head, Efficiency Unit, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr Ojonimi Imaji, said the system would save the time spent by state and federal procurement officers on physical price survey, adding that it would ensure transparency and competitiveness in business transactions.

He said this during the commencement of a two-day sensitisation programme on price checker and e-procurement, organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Procurement for procurement officers in Lagos State.

Imaji said, “This essentially replaces the former physical market survey that was the practice. So, it saves time, ensures transparency and brings competition. It makes procurement process easier.

“When it brings competition it can reduce cost because as the vendors are competing among themselves, knowing that they all have access to upload the prices of their products, they would want to lower their costs.

“In this case, procurement officers cannot go and procure items that are far higher than what you will find on the price checker platform. It is also going to be web-enabled; so, you do not have to be at your desk to use it.

“You can use it from any Internet-enabled platform including mobile phones. Also, there will be e-procurement, where the whole procurement process will be electronic.”

He said the price checker portal would not replace the Public Procurement Act, but would make it easy for vendors and contractors to do business with government.

Also commenting on the development, the General Manager of Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr Fatai Onafowota, said the price checker would help eliminate the paper works associated with manual pricing survey.

Onafowota, who was the head of procurement department in the agency, said the price checker would ease budgetary provisions.

“In terms of price checker, in Lagos State, we have the Bureau of Statistics which is responsible for updating the various items, but this price checker will help eliminate paper works, everything will be done electronically.

“It will now be easier to prepare budget through the price checker. It makes transaction easier for the contractors and suppliers as well as those who will access it to get all the prices,” he said.