GOVERNMENT, as part of measures to tighten up on the purchase of goods and services, will soon be tabling a a Bill in the House of Representatives to legislate the newly proposed public procurement regime.

The new regime outlines a number of activities which have either been undertaken or are slated for implementation to strengthen the procurement process, Horace Dalley, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, told Parliament last week.

Activities already undertaken are:

* the creation of a designated public procurement policy office in the Ministry of Finance and Planning;

* revision of the public procurement handbook; and

* the publication of a weekly public procurement page in the national newspapers.

Pending is:

* the introduction of the electronic government procurement process;

* promulgation of a new procurement law;

* development of a new cadre of public procurement professionals; and

* development of a new regime for insurance placement in government.

Also proposed are:

* separation of the National Contracts Commission (NCC) from the Office of the Contractor General, and renaming the NCC the Public Procurement Commission;

* a further revision of the approvals threshold;

* revision of emergency contracting procedures;

* establishment of a new contractor registration system;

* removal of the need for the ministry’s comments on all contracts prior to approval; and

* establishment of a Public Appeals Board.

Dalley said the appeals board will be established as an independent tribunal to adjudicate contractor complaints in a procurement process. THIS administrative body, he said, should “strengthen the integrity and transparency of the public procurement process”.