All of Philippine govt to use e-procurement system

President Benigno Aquino III has issued an order requiring all government agencies and local government units to use the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) in all their purchases, which will translate into savings of as much as Php6 billion (USD142 million) annually.According to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., state offices have been directed to source all their common-use supplies directly from the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management or from its regional depots throughout the country.
“This administration reiterates the policy that procurement of government supplies, materials, and equipment shall be done in the most transparent and competitive manner,” Ochoa said. Common-use supplies refer to office supplies like bond paper, pens, pencils, and ink, which eat up about P19.5 billion of the government’s annual spending package. “With a centralized supply purchasing system, the budget department has estimated that the government stands to save as much as P6 billion a year,” Ochoa said. PhilGEPS, which can be accessed online at www.philgeps.net, provides relevant information on all procurement activities of government agencies. At present, the system already has 53,382 registered suppliers.
Ochoa said AO No. 17, which also calls for a periodic evaluation of all procuring entities, applies to all national government agencies, including military and police units; government-owned and -controlled corporations; government financial institutions; state universities and colleges; and local government units. In the past, only the national government agencies were required to use the PS system.

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