The draft Public Private Partnership (PPP) law, currently before Cabinet, will take care of accountability and bribery if it is fully passed, the Director of Public Investment Division at the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Magdalene Apenteng has emphasised.
The PPP law, she said will seek to address gaps in the Public Procurement Act relating to PPP procurement practices and processes, and provide a clear definition of PPP projects and structures in such a way as to distinguish them.
In this light, Mrs Apenteng believes projects would be executed by leveraging public and private sector resources in order to close the infrastructure gap and deliver efficient public infrastructure and services.
Speaking at a sensitisation forum for Civil Society Organisatiosns (CSOs) in Accra, she said: “The law will hopefully come very soon, and will support implementation of the national PPP policy that was launched by government in 2011. It is expected to give confidence to both local and international investors that would want to participate in PPPs with government.”
“Within the draft PPP law, the guidelines and regulations make room for accountability and access to documentation, disclosure and so on, she added.
Under the law, Parliament will be the final approving authority for PPP projects — subject to provisions of the policy — to ensure protection of the public interest.
The Attorney-General’s Department, with assistance and advice from the Legal Division of the Ministry of Finance, will ensure the conformity of all project agreements with the law.
The country’s development partners, including the World Bank and DFID, are supporting a project to move the PPP process forward with a total of US$30million over a five-year period. This is to assist in improving the legislative, institutional, financial, fiduciary and technical frameworks for PPPs, and develop bankable projects.
By: Kasapafmonlne.com/Ghana
