THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it is working on the full digitalization of public procurement.
In a statement on Monday, the DBM said its Procurement Service (PS) is shooting for “an efficient procurement system incorporating global best practices, including the complete digitization of all government procedures,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said.
“The procurement process, widely seen as the most daunting bottleneck in budget utilization due to alleged rampant corruption, interpretational ambiguities, and a lackluster capability to carry out procurement tasks within government agencies, causes service delivery delays,” the DBM added.
The PS is also working on modernizing the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System. Improvements include an integrated e-bidding system and electronic payment facility, among others.
“An efficient procurement system underpins effective public expenditure management and fast-tracks the delivery of optimal services to the public in a timely and cost-efficient manner,” PS Executive Director Dennis S. Santiago said.
In his State of the Nation Address last week, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. called for a new government procurement law.
“I think the procurement law is too stringent. Even digitalization and payment systems are not provided for in the law,” Ms. Pangandaman said.
The DBM is also working on implementing sustainable procurement practices.
“Green procurement is synonymous with responsible procurement. The integration of green solutions into the public procurement process brings us a step closer to our ultimate aim of promoting sustainable management and utilization of natural resources by 2030,” Ms. Pangandaman added.
The DBM has recently met with the United Nations Development Programme to enhance procurement digitalization and analytics. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson