Gov’t posted P10.7B procurement savings in 2018 — Diokno

The government recorded P10.7 billion worth of procurement savings last year on the back of procurement reforms such as the upgrade of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) portal.

“The improved procurement performance is a direct result of reforms, which seek to ensure a faster, efficient, and more responsive mechanisms for the acquisition of goods and services, introduced by the administration in the past two years,” Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said during a forum in Manila on Wednesday.

Data from the Department of Budget and Management's Procurement Service showed a total of 446 contracts were awarded last year worth P175.8 billion.

From the total value of awards, around P10.7 billion worth of savings were earned by comparing the approved budget for contract against the actual cost of engineering, procurement, and construction, according to the Budget chief.

“In the past decades, one of the bottlenecks of public service delivery has been delays in procurement," Diokno said.

“Since we assumed office in 2016, we have been keen on introducing more efficient systems in this area. So far, I am pleased to say that our reforms have been yielding our intended results,” he added.

In 2016, the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, was revised to streamline procurement processes that derail program implementation.

The procurement system has since been enhanced through the launch of an upgraded government electronic procurement portal, PhilGEPS Version 1.5, which incorporates a more advanced operating system.

Under the new system, online bid submission and payment are now accepted through PhilGEPS.

The upgraded portal also includes an e-catalogue feature that facilitates requests for purchase orders, quotations, and other transactions. — RSJ, GMA News