The micro, small and medium-sized

enterprise (MSME) sector has received a boost with the passage of two resolutions

in the House of Representatives that seek to provide an opportunity for local

suppliers to bid on government contracts, based on the percentage of local raw

material being used.

The resolutions are the Public Procurement

(Domestic Margin of Preference) Order, 2019, and The Public Procurement (Set

Aside) Order, 2019.

Piloting the resolutions on October 22,

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr Nigel Clarke, said the Public

Procurement (Domestic Margin of Preference) Order is the application of a

prescribed factor on the bid price of foreign bidders participating in

international competitive bidding procedures.

“The application of this factor allows a

national bidder to earn a government contract, even if its bid price exceeds

the price of a foreign bidder, provided that the national bidder demonstrates a

required percentage of domestic content,” the Minister noted.

“This Order dictates 20 per cent and 35

per cent, respectively. Therefore, the procuring entity shall apply a domestic

margin of preference of 20 per cent on the criterion of bid price in respect of

bids which demonstrate the use of domestic content of a minimum threshold of 35

per cent.”

Clarke said that it is intended to

mitigate the competitive disadvantages of the participating Jamaican suppliers,

adding that the measure will develop the local business sector over the long

term.