📷aseannewstoday.com
AMID efforts to reduce a significant chunk of vehicles plying major thoroughfares to address traffic congestion, the government is toying on the idea of a shopping spree via an e-marketplace for the procurement of vehicles.
In a public briefing in Malacañang, no less than Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman hinted at launching in July a pilot e-marketplace where government agencies – whether it be national or local, may buy vehicles.
“We are all excited for the official launch of our e-marketplace by the end of July. As you all know, this is part of our efforts to digitalize the government’s procurement system and address concerns on the procurement process – which is the biggest bottleneck or hurdle in the budget utilization of our agencies,” Pangandaman said.
According to DBM Procurement Service Executive Director Dennis Santiago, the government usually waits one to four months to be able to procure a vehicle, citing bureaucratic layers.
“Now, with the e-Marketplace, you have products already in the system then the government procuring entities will have to select from those products and then make an order right there,” Santiago noted.
“In one day puwede ho kayong maka-procure.”
He however clarified that not all car sellers and dealers could qualify in view of what he claimed as “technical and legal qualifications” for suppliers to be part of the e-marketplace.
“We are looking at our manufacturers and distributors. We are not dealing with dealerships, we are dealing with manufacturers and distributors of motor vehicles.” (ANGEL F. JOSE)
