200 Procurement officers get skills

Over 200 procurement officers have undergone training in tender management and handling consultancy works.The training was conducted by the School of Finance and Banking, which on Friday awarded certificates to successful trainees.Officails said the short course programme targeted public chief budget managers, procument managers and tender committee members. The participants were equipped with skills in managing goods, works and consultancies.“The main aim of these particular short courses is to build on capacity and increase performance for those already in service, based on the challenges they face in their day-to-day activities,” said Fidele Abimana, the programme co-ordinator at the School of Finance and Banking.He called on the trainees to put to good use the knowledge they acquired, saying it will, not only help them as individuals, but will also contribute towards efficient performance of institutions they serve.Those who received the certificates enrolled for the courses last October and completed in February this year. Abimana said the short term courses cost $500 (about Rwf335,000). The school is again targeting more 200 officers from both the private and public institutions.Abimana noted that the short time courses have greatly helped in giving the opportunity for those in service to upgrade and acquire more skills in their respective fields; acknowledging that this helps in developing competent workforce.Sylvere Mugumya, a member of the tender committee in the Ministry of Infrastructure was among the trainees.He told Business Times that the training helped them understand how to better carryout their various responsibilities.“This initiative will help procurement officers develop uniformity as far as dealing with same tasks is concerned. This will bring a systematic approach in institutions and ministries,” Mugumya said.