By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senator Sonny Angara on Friday (24 May 2024) said that the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) would address inefficiencies and wastage in public transactions by plugging loopholes in the existing law.
Angara, the principal author, and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2593 or the NGPA, said the new procurement law promotes greater transparency, competitiveness, efficiency, professionalism accountability, and sustainability in the government procurement process.
“The NGPA was a product of months of consultations with all the stakeholders, particularly the Executive branch, to come up with a law that will ultimately end up saving money for the government and result in the delivery of better services for our people,” Angara said.
The said bill is now up for review and signature of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The NGPA replaces Republic Act No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act, the 21-year-old law that served as the entire bureaucracy’s bible for all transactions involving public funds.
“Over time, scheming minds were still able to exploit the GPRA and it is high time that we clamp down on these illegal practices by eliminating the opportunities for corruption and this is what the NGPA intends to achieve,” Angara said.
(el Amigo/MNM)
