The eProcurement solution will enable actual tender bids to be submitted securely on line as well as new possibilities such as ‘reverse auctions’ where bidders compete to offer the lowest price. These solutions have been proven to result in better value for Government.
Minister Fenech said that Government considers this solution as a very important milestone. Between 2009 and today, the Department of Contracts published over 800 tenders for which the private sector submitted close to 4000 bids. “Government has a significant role in a country’s procurement because of its influence on the economy in terms of investment and jobs,” said Minister Fenech. Aside from the benefits in cost-savings and time, the solution will also generate increased competition as now foreign suppliers will also be able to keep track of what the Government of Malta is procuring. The European Commission (EC) is placing a lot of importance on procurement and when more countries adapt similar online solutions, local industry players will also have the opportunity to participate in procurement by other member states.
MITA’s chairman, Mr. Claudio Grech, said that the Agency will soon be rolling-out a next- generation eGovernment platform which will bring about a complete paradigm shift in electronic services. “The eProcurement solution is a vital component for our plans in having complete environment through which both the public and private sectors can attain the most benefits. Public entities will be able to provide value added services not only to their suppliers but also so their own workforce and internal management systems,” added Mr. Grech.
Referring to last year’s EC eGovernment Benchmarking Report, in which Malta was established as the European leader in eGovernment after achieving 100% in five of the six core indicators measured, Mr. Grech said that “the sixth indicator, in which Malta still fared relatively well but did not achieve top marks, was eProcurement. This has given the Agency the extra thrust to work towards today’s milestone to ensure that our eGovernment framework will be second to none in the European Union.”
Dr. Leonidas Bardis, Assistant Managing Director at European Dynamics SA, said that the eProcurement Solution implemented in Malta used their most advanced platform and aside from the complete procurement cycle, it offers additional functionalities such as eCatalogues and eOrdering. European Dynamics SA is a leading European ICT service provider and software developer, employing over 480 engineers, ICT experts and consultants operating internationally through various offices. Similar eProcurement solutions by the same company have already been implemented in a number of countries, including Belgium, Germany, Jordan, Cyprus and the UK.
Initially the eProcurement solution will be used by the Department of Contracts and MITA and as from today these two entities can start using it internally. In the coming months it will be accessible also by the private sector that can start submitting bids online. Within Government, there are approximately 150 other contracting authorities which publish tenders and these will eventually also start using the eProcurement solution.
Mr. John Gatt, Permanent Secretary at MITC, said that once all contracting authorities have completed the changeover and adopted eProcurement practices, the major benefit for the private sector is that through one portal they will be able to keep up to date with all Government procurement activities. “The eProcurement solution is an enabler to expedite public purchasing, and make the interaction between Government and the private sector a more transparent one. I hope that all contracting authorities will welcome this solution and be proactive in the way they use it,” concluded Mr. Gatt.
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Quelle/Source: Gozo News, 25.06.2011
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