BEVERLY HILLS, February 05, (THEWILL) – Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has revealed that the senate will commence the amendment of the Procurement Act, in order to attain the objectives of the 2016 Budget, immediately after the completion of the on-going process of passage of the Appropriation Bill.
Saraki, while addressing the organizers of the ‘Made in Aba’ Trade Fair who visited him in his office, said certain sections of the Act needed to be reviewed to ensure that the scarce resources which are available from the budget are well utilized.
He said the Act will be amended to ensure that Made in Nigeria goods are patronized and that government agencies only resort to imported goods when there are no local alternatives adding that areas of the law
dealing with advance payment for government procurement would be scrutinized.
“This is the only way we can create jobs, solve the problem of unemployment and stop the growing army of aggrieved youths who pose danger to society. We can do it. We have the population which translates
to a huge ready market. This is how we van genuinely help our people,” he said.
“The chairmen of our relevant committees are being put on notice to ensure that they focus their oversight on these areas. We must make sure that government agencies like the Armed Forces can patronize the shoe making industries in Aba and other places.”
He however urged local industries to increase the quality of their products and make their prices competitive and thanked Senator Enyinanya Abaribe, who led the delegation to his office, for his
consistency in promoting goods made in Aba over the years.
“Senator Abaribe has done so much in promoting Made in Aba goods. In fact, it is his constituency project and he has invested so much time and money on it, even before the decline in oil price. This is import
substitution and I assure you of the support of the Senate in this endeavour,” he said.
Abaribe in his speech urged the Senate President to help Aba based manufacturers get the much needed government recognition and encouragement especially with the amendment of Section 34 sub sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Procurement Act.
Story by David Oputah
About the Author
