A report in This Day notes that the Nigerian government is implementing measures to bar contractors who commit fraud in relation to government contracts:
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) yesterday introduced the Debarment Procedure to punish as well as serve as deterrent to corrupt procurement related practices by suppliers, contractors and service providers.
Debarment entails the prohibition of a person or company which had been convicted of criminal acts in connection with an application from taking part in future applications.
The Director General of the BPP, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, said the proposed anti-corruption mechanism could have defaulters barred from doing businesses in the country for up to a period of five years, including a fine equivalent to 25 per cent of the value of the procurement in question.
Speaking in Abuja, at the opening of a one-day stakeholders’ forum on Debarment Procedure, Ezeh disclosed that about 13 companies had already been blacklisted for contravening the Procurement Act.
