Group Photo of participants of a Workshop on Dissemination of Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act 2018, Regulations 2024 and Standard Bidding Documents. This is the Second workshop to be held by PPDAA for members of Procurement Committees from States and Special Administrative Areas. The Workshop which attracted 44 participants, is being attended by members of Procurement Committees for Eastern Equatoria, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Warrap and Lakes States; and Abyei and Ruweng Special Administrative areas, held at Sarab Hotel in Wau, Western Bahr El Ghazal. It will run for five days from 24th to 28th February 2025. 

The Workshop was officially opened on 24th February 2025 by Hon. Akol Majok (seated fourth from left) who is the Minister of Trade and Mining State for the Western Bahr El Ghazal who represented His Excellency Emannuel Primo Ukelo, the Governor of Western Bahr El Ghazal State. In attendance was also Hon. Stephen Andrea (seated fifth from left) the Western Bahr El Ghazal State Director General of Finance, Planning and Investment. PPDAA’s Board Chairperson, Hon. Ayii Bol Akol (seated third from left) also attended the opening ceremony.

In welcoming the Guest of Honour to open the Workshop, the PPDAA’s Chairperson briefed the participants  of the progress made in setting up a Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets System of South Sudan following the establishment of PPDAA on 17th February 2023  through a decree issued by  H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the Republic of South Sudan for appointment of Non-Executive Chairperson, Members of the Board and the Executive Director of PPDAA. 

Since its establishment PPDAA has achieved the following important milestones: Facilitated the approval of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Regulations by the Transitional National Assembly on 12th August 2024, and the official issue of the same by the Minister of Finance and Planning on 18th October 2024; Issued ten Standard Bidding Document for procurement of works, goods, non-consultancy and consultancy services; Facilitated the formation of Procurement Committees in 32 MDAs and carried out capacity building workshops to more than 120 staff from those entities; Facilitated the formation of Procurement Committees to 8 States and Administrative areas and now is carrying out capacity building workshops to the members of those committees; and Completed the preparation of the website www.ppdaa.gov.ss, and tender portal www.ppdaatenderportal.gov.ss. All the prepared documents for procurement and disposal of assets have already been posted in the website; and bid invitations, bid awards, and providers registration shall be carried out through the tender portal. 

The Chairman remarked “with the Law, Regulations, Standard Bidding Documents, Various Guidelines and the website, PPDAA can proudly announce that the setup of Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets system in South Sudan is complete and ready for Implementation”. 

“You as members of Procurement Committees in your organization, I would say that you are PPDAA’s delegates to ensure that procurement and disposal of assets in your States and Administrative Areas are carried out in a fair, competitive, transparent, accountable, non-discriminative environment to enable attainment of value for money. I therefore urge you to take this training workshop seriously and maximize knowledge gain from our facilitators” he added.

In his opening speech the Guest of Honour called upon the participants to take the training seriously “most of you Government Officials always attend workshops but when you return back to your offices you just forget everything, and you don’t pass to your colleagues the knowledge you have gained” he remarked. “I want you guys to focus, listen and understand the laws that will be introduced before you and start implementing them in your States and Special Administrative Areas”