Upgraded Government of Jamaica Electronic Procurement Portal Launched

The next generation of Government of Jamaica Electronic Procurement Portal (GOJEP 2.0), aimed at further improving efficiency and transparency in the procurement process, was officially launched today (July 30).

Addressing the launch at the AC Hotel Kingston, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, said the technology upgrade is a strategic investment in the future of public procurement, aligned with the country’s modern legislative and policy framework.

“So GOJEP 2.0 is the same platform you already use to bid on government contracts, but we have removed the outdated barriers, stronger connections to our oversight and much better record-keeping underneath it. All of it is aimed at making the process faster, more transparent, and a good deal less of a headache for suppliers and government staff alike,” she said.

She added that GOJEP 2.0 is an upgraded version of the government’s online system for buying goods, works and services from the private sector.

She further noted that the changes are not cosmetic, as they remove real barriers to using the system and represent another bold step in transforming the way government serves the people of Jamaica.

“You no longer need to instal extra software just to submit a bid. You log in from any ordinary web browser on any device, including your phone. It’s better connected. The system now talks to other government systems, so the same information doesn’t have to be entered twice,” the Minister explained.

“It keeps a proper record digitally. Every key decision made during evaluation is captured and tracked automatically instead of living in a paper file or in someone’s memory. It cuts duplicate paperwork for government staff, and it collects far better data on how long procurements take, how much competition is there, and how well our small business set-asides are working. That set-aside is something we are serious about bringing into being this calendar year,” she said.

Furthermore, she said public procurement is a strategic function of government and a cornerstone of national development.

“It is not a back-office administrative activity. It is one of the primary levers government has to serve this country. Almost nothing that we in government promise to the people of Jamaica, things like roads, hospitals, schools, security equipment, IT systems, nothing that we promise gets built or bought without a procurement process first,” the Minister noted.

“Because government is such a large buyer, our procurement decisions ripple through entire sectors, construction, manufacturing, professional services, and because it is public money, every single contract award either builds or erodes public trust and that is precisely why transparency and audit trails matter so much to this government and precisely why we are upgrading GOJEP,” she said.

The Minister explained that GOJEP 2.0 is not the finish line, adding that it is a catalyst for the next era of public procurement in Jamaica.

“Over the next years, we will build a fully integrated end-to-end digital procurement system, one that connects planning, tendering, evaluation, contract management, supplier performance, and payment. It should begin before a tender is ever advertised,” she said, adding that the next generation of GOJEP should reach into contract management, invoicing, and payment.

She noted, too, that as data quality improves, the platform will increasingly become government’s single source of procurement information.

The Minister congratulated the Chief Public Procurement Policy Officer and the team at the Office of Public Procurement Policy, under the leadership of the Deputy Financial Secretary for their steady stewardship of GOJEP over the years.

“Work with our partners across government, our oversight institutions, and the supplier community to connect the entire procurement lifecycle. Take advantage of emerging technology responsibly and use the data the system generates to give government sharper intelligence and to give our suppliers, our oversight bodies, and our citizens greater visibility into how public procurement is truly performing. Transformation is built in stages. The first

GOJEP moved Jamaica from paper to electronic procurement. GOJEP 2.0 is the foundation on which the procurement system of the next decade will stand,” she said.

For more information, persons may visit the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service website at https://www.mof.gov.jm/mofps-procurement/.