Benchmark of transparency

Monday, January 24, 2011
THE administration of President PNoy is bent on observing norm of transparency and accountability. That is obvious on, and from, the pronouncements of the new president but there are misses in the implementation of laws, circulars and other issuances from Malacañang.

Lest its provisions are ignored or forgotten, let me state some salient points of Republic Act No. 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act: it mandates the observance of greater transparency and accountability in public procurement, enhanced competitiveness and wider participation from the public in monitoring government procurement.

Now, in order to fully achieve the foregoing good objectives of the law, all heads of departments, bureaus, offices and agencies, including state universities and colleges, government-owned and/or controlled corporations, government financial institutions and local government units (LGUs), are urged by Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez, thru Memorandum Circular No. 1, series of 2011, to submit to her office through the Public Assistance and Corruption Prevention Office, the list of annual procurement schedules for Calendar Year (CY) 2011, and every year thereafter, on or before the 15th day of February and the said list should be posted in conspicuous places and uploaded in official websites.

This pronouncement encompasses all specific procurement activity, funding source, approved budget for the contract (ABC) and the bidding dates. Now, I have to see the penal sanctions who do not submit the required list, those who are tardy and submit theirs on much later dates, way past the deadlines and those who do not care and comply at all.

As for LGUs, even the provisions of the Local Government Code require them to publish their financial statements. I just wonder how many of them comply with the law.

Penalties for non-submission should be stiff so as to give the delinquents a hard and bitter lesson on prompt compliance.

Aha, now I see the coincidence of this memo circular with the surfacing anomalies at the National Food Authority or NFA, regarding the very much overpriced rice importation. I, for one, will not be surprised about the corruption perpetrated by some officials and private individuals during the Arroyo administration. Corruption has become the daily fare of almost all the government agencies during GMA’s time and during which tenure the largest scams have been done and consummated.

I am amused, if not irritated, by the on-off investigations or inquiries on the anomalies. Usually, nothing comes out of these so-called fact-finding efforts. There are, and were, so many task forces created purportedly to ferret out the truth, but nothing, yes, zilch, had resulted from such investigations which cost substantial taxpayers’ money!

I am tempted to ask: why should stopgap measures be taken only when the scam is discovered when these should have been taken as foolproof devices to preempt scams? (Benjie R. Pangan)

Sorce:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/opinion/pangan-benchmark-transparency

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