$63 Million Allocated for Electronic Procurement System

The recently tabled Estimates of Expenditure 2012/13 contain some $63 million for the implementation of the Electronic Government Procurement system in Jamaica.

The implementing agency is the Ministry of Finance, Planning and the Public Service.

The objective of the project is to strengthen the efficiency and quality of public procurement in Jamaica, through the development of an electronic government system that is accessible by all procuring entities and suppliers and permits tendering and contracting to be processed electronically through a single portal.

Already, a contract has been signed for a consultant to conduct a feasibility study and prepare terms of reference and request for proposals for the location of an electronic procurement system.

During the current financial year, the system will be selected and the implementation process will advance.

The duration of the project is June 2011 to May, 2014 and financing was secured through a grant from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), supported by Government of Jamaica funds.

By Allan Brooks, JIS Senior Reporter