E-Procurement System Produces Results

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service is reporting that its new e-procurement regime is turning over contracts within three months, down from up to two years.

Senior Director at the Ministry, Cecile Maragh, points out that the efficiency of the system allows all interested parties to deal with the bidding process from different locations, and that no longer do they need to book conference facilities for persons to review and decide on bid proposals.

“You advertise in the system, it accepts, clarifies and triggers when evaluation is to be done,” she said.

Mrs. Maragh was addressing a regional local government sensitisation session, held today (January 5), at The Knutsford Court Hotel, in New Kingston.

“You can be anywhere in the world and do the evaluation… a click of a button and bids are open. You can see the prices they quoted and who is qualified in a matter of seconds. That is why we are able to move so fast,” she told the forum.

Mrs. Maragh urged the municipal corporations to work with their ministry and ensure that the relevant staff members receive training for the system, and to also encourage their contractors to register on the system, so that they can benefit from timely decisions.

She said by the end of the calendar year, the system is expected to be fully rolled out across ministries and agencies.

The Senior Director also used the occasion to update persons in attendance, which included elected parish councillors, on rules governing the contract process.

Under the government revised procurement policy, each agency is required to establish a specialist procurement unit, staffed with competent personnel who are knowledgeable and adequately trained to manage the entity’s procurement process.

All procurement for the entity must be channelled through the unit. A public officer is required to declare any relationship with a bidder, contractor or consultant, and is not allowed to take part in either the decision-making process, or the implementation of any contract where such a relationship exists.

Staff and other public officers and officials directly or indirectly involved in the procurement process,  especially in the preparation of bidding documents, evaluation, contract negotiations, contract management and payments, are required to declare any potential conflict of interest, or relationship with the contractors.