The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will launch on Monday a more efficient public procurement system to address slowdowns and difficulties encountered by government agencies and merchants due to increased traffic with the current system.
Dubbed as Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) version 1.5, the portal is an upgraded version of the online procurement channel. It was updated with more sophisticated software to ensure reliability and performance.
Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said this is in line with their push for a “more streamlined and efficient public procurement system.”
“One way to secure timely and transparent use of public funds, especially with our huge P3.8-trillion budget, is by having a good electronic procurement system,” Diokno said.
PhilGEPS 1.5 boasts of improved services that will allow government agencies to post their bids and awards information online.
Also, through the portal, registered contractors, merchants and consultants will be able to participate in the procurement of goods, civil works and consulting services.
The DBM said PhilGEPS 1.5 is a temporary upgrade of the existing version of the electronic portal until such time that a modernized GEPS is up and running. Transition to a modern GEPS is expected to be completed next year.
Awarded to the joint venture of Nextix and Nextendes in December 2017, the modern GEPS project started in February and is set to be completed by June next year.
Modernized GEPS will also include the Annual Procurement Plan of procuring entities, aside from the existing features of PhilGEPS. Online bid submission and payment will be made possible with modern GEPS. To facilitate requests for quotations, purchase orders and other transactions, an e-catalog will also be made available to procuring entities
and merchants.
Merchants may also soon be allowed to offer their items and try to outbid one another through the e-Reverse Auction. Data analytics to generate statistical procurement reports may also be expected soon.
The DBM has made various initiatives to improve public procurement since the start of the Duterte administration. The revised implementing rules and regulations of the government procurement reform law quickened the procurement process and made it less vulnerable to delays as it streamlined the documentary requirements for stakeholders without sacrificing the integrity of public procurement.