Though over 35,000 suppliers have registered for the government’s e-procurement system launched last year, only 6,000 suppliers are actively using it.
The circular said all suppliers had to set up the necessary infrastructure (to link up to ePerolehan). It also instructed suppliers to have their staff undergo training to be able to use the system.
The circular ended with a veiled warning: “Suppliers that do not set up the necessary infrastructure will lose out on business opportunities in the government.”
Malaysia’s Commerce Dot Com (CDC) developed the e-procurement system as one of the five core components of the e-government flagship application project of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC).
The flagship application project is identified as a catalyst for the development of MSC, Malaysia’s version of Silicon Valley.
The Malaysian government views e-government as a means to reinvent itself, positioning ePerolehan as a service to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of government procurement.
CDC’s chief executive, Mohd Salleh Masduki, said the government’s suppliers will soon recognise the significance of ePerolehan in ensuring their survival.
“We understand that the biggest challenge most suppliers face is unfamiliarity with new technology,” Salleh said in a recent report.
He acknowledged that it would take time for people to get used to and be comfortable with new technology. There are 4,288 government procurement offices in peninsular Malaysia.
The ePerolehan system is expected to be extended to the eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak by June this year.
As a commercial entity, CDC derives its revenue from the volume of transactions done at ePerolehan.
It gets 0.8% or a ceiling price of RM9,600 (US$2,526) from the total value of transactions made at ePerolehan.
Salleh also said that the CDC is exploring the possibility of selling its e-procurement expertise to foreign governments.
The government of Myanmar has expressed interest in the ePerolehan system, and a memorandum of understanding was signed recently, he added.
Quelle: Asia Computer Weekly
