$51 Million Set Aside for Govt’s E-Procurement System

A sum of $51 million has been allocated in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure, now before Parliament, to continue development of the Electronic Government Procurement system.

The project, which commenced in 2011, is intended to strengthen the efficiency and quality of Jamaica’s public procurement process. This, through development of an electronic  system for government procuring and tendering agencies and suppliers, and automating activities performed by these parties by integrating them on a single portal.

Of the sum allocated for 2015/16, just over $31 million will go towards completion of procurement and implementation of the hosting server and electronic procurement system, scheduled to come on stream by July 1.

Also to be undertaken is the training of users for the pilot sites at a cost of$1.47 million; final project evaluation for $575,000; and a project audit to be undertaken at a cost of just over $1 million.

Up to January 2014, a Request for Proposal (RFP) notice was published for the system, with the National Contracts Commission (NCC) endorsing the award of a contract to the successful bidder.

Funding is being jointly provided by the Government of Jamaica and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The implementing agency is the Ministry of Finance and Planning.