Finance Minister Underscores Importance of Public Procurement Regime Revisions

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, has reaffirmed and underscored the significance of the incoming amendments to the Public Procurement Act 2015 and Regulations, which are aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the procurement process.

Speaking on the opening day of the Elevate Procurement Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St. James, on Tuesday (April 23), Dr. Clarke outlined the plans to streamline the procurement process by removing the Sector Committee, deemed “redundant in effect and practice”.

He said this move is expected to simplify the process and accelerate contract formation.

Additionally, Dr. Clarke noted that the Government will raise the thresholds for the procurement of goods, services, and works in public-sector entities, to expedite procurement procedures.

“The third hard change we are going to make is to abolish the mandatory 10-day standstill period [between the date of a procurement decision and the date of award],” the Minister further explained.

“We believe we can retain all of the seven principles [of the procurement policy] at their current levels while elevating the efficiency principle with these changes,” he added.

These seven principles are equity, value for money, transparency, efficiency, fairness, reliability and economy.

Dr. Clarke further highlighted soft changes that are crucial for improving procurement practices.

He emphasised the importance of careful preparation for procurements, including thoughtful consideration of valuation criteria and the content of requests.

The Minister further stated that the Office of Public Procurement Policy will publish benchmark timelines for different stages of the procurement process. This initiative aims to set clear expectations and improve accountability.

“The good news is that with an electronic procurement system, we will be able to measure and report on how entities are performing with respect to these benchmarks. The electronic procurement system will allow us to measure procurement from start to finish, and we can see from visibility and transparency what takes up time along the path of procurement,” Dr. Clarke outlined.

The Elevate Procurement Conference is being held from April 23 to 25 with representatives from public procurement oversight institutions; suppliers of goods, services and works; civil society; local corruption watchdogs; regional procurement practitioners; and Latin American procurement experts in attendance.

Over the three days, the event will help to clarify the procurement process, facilitate discussions regarding local public procurement, and showcase interplay and interrelationship between stakeholders in public procurement, among other engagements.