Public Procurement Commission Initiates SRS: A Game-Changer for Suppliers & Contractors

On Monday, May 3, the Public Procurement Commission rolled-out the Supplier Registration System (SRS) ‑ its novel online registration and licensing platform for the suppliers and contractors of goods, services and infrastructural works who are seeking to be registered or re-registered for serving public sector organisations. The SRS is a new web-based application, and submissions are made easier using an online platform.

SIGNIFICANT CONVENIENCE, SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN PROCESSING TIME

With its previous applications system, the PPC accepted applications via email and hard copy. Now, all applicants will need to use the ultra-modern SRS which offers significant convenience and will greatly decrease the application processing time. Executive Director of the Public Procurement Commission, Lieutenant Commander (Ret’d) Paul Wright explains the advantages of SRS: “This new electronic system, the SRS, which we have put in place is a game-changer. It is poised to make the application process easier, faster and more reliable for Government of Jamaica approved suppliers and contractors. Their application processing time is expected to be slashed in half. An added benefit is that the process is 90 per cent paperless.”

The Executive Director advises that applicants will have the added advantage of, “tracking the progress and status of their applications. The Commission is utilising technology to optimize its service to its clients. Our clients deserve an efficient and secure service.” Lt Cdr (Ret’d) Wright reveals that the SRS is so beneficial to current and prospective suppliers and contractors that it is quite fitting that the slogan for the new system is, “Swift. Reliable. Secure”, as it mirrors the acronym SRS and captures the desirable features of the system.

STEP-BY-STEP ASSISTANCE

To find the newly developed registration system, suppliers and contractors can log onto the Government of Jamaica Electronic Procurement  (GOJEP) website: www.gojep.com. The PPC has on its website, www.ppc.gov.jm, a set of instructions plus an instructional video that shows applicants the easy step-by-step process to register using the SRS.

PANDEMIC-PROOF

The PPC, has initiated the SRS at a time when Jamaica and the rest of the world are in the throes of a prolonged pandemic. The system provides another means of adhering to COVID-19 protocols by allowing applications to be done remotely, and giving suppliers and contractors, a safe way to register and obtain their certificates.

QUERIES ANSWERED

Mr Leevon Phillips, Senior Director, PPC’s Suppliers Registration and Licensing Branch, explains that there is dedicated PPC personnel to answer any queries that suppliers and contractors may have about using the SRS. Contact can be made through phone and email: helpline: (876) 807-3154; email address: general@ppc.gov.jm. Feedback on the new system can also be left via those channels. Mr Phillips further states that contractors of infrastructural works will now be able to pay their application fees online.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Before the roll-out of SRS, the PPC held Webinars with its stakeholders.  The PPC has held virtual consultation sessions with umbrella groups including: Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Incorporated Master Builders Association of Jamaica, Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Alliance, and Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ).

MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY

The Public Procurement Commission was established on April 1, 2019, pursuant to the promulgation of the Public Procurement Act 2015. The Commission’s goal is to better enable public procurement, and in doing so, provide opportunities for qualified participation to manage public resources in a fair, transparent and professional manner. The Commission aims to help to maximize efficiency in public procurement. During the last financial year, which ended on the 31^st of March 2021, the PPC registered just under 800 contractors/suppliers.