Reforms in the government-procurement system are crucial to eradicate poverty and improve governance, an official of the World Bank said.
World Bank Procurement Practice Manager Enzo de Laurentiis said private-sector confidence has already increased since the national government implemented the online registration for bidders.
“The Philippine government has been implementing a comprehensive reform to make governance work for inclusive growth. The procurement system has also made significant contributions to enhance public service delivery through more efficient and effective processes,” said De Laurentiis in a statement issued by the Department of Budget and Management.
He said private-sector confidence in the government is shown in the 74-percent rise in private- firm registration with the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System compared with 2011 levels.
The national average number of bidders also increased by more than 100 percent, from an average of two in 2010 to an average of four in 2013.
The Philippines is hosting the Global Procurement Conference on April 20 and 21 that seeks to sustain procurement reforms in the Philippines and other governments that face challenges in governance.
Procurement experts from countries like Peru, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Chile will share knowledge on their strategies and actual experiences in making their countries’ reforms sustainable and irreversible.
Dennis Santiago, executive director of the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB)-Technical Support Office, said the passage of Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, in January 2003 transformed the government-procurement regime into a competitive, transparent, efficient, accountable and functional public acquisition system.
“It [referring to procurement law] established standardized procurement procedures, modernization via technology, sustainable organizational structures, a system for monitoring and evaluation, and capacity development for its procurement practitioners,” Santiago said.
The country’s procurement system uses performance measurement standards based on actual data analysis prescribed by the GPPB.
Multilateral agencies—Asian Development Bank, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the World Bank along with GPPB hold periodic performance reviews via the past five Country Procurement Assessment Reports.