STOPPING CORRUPTION. Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman speaks at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay Forum in Manila on Wednesday (Aug. 21, 2024). Pangandaman said the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) or Republic Act (RA) 12009 is key to stopping corrupt practices in the government. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)
The new procurement law is key to stopping corrupt practices in the government, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Wednesday.
During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay, Pangandaman said the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) or Republic Act (RA) 12009 would enhance government efficiency and ensure high-quality outcomes.
Pangandaman also guaranteed that there would be no repeat of the so-called Pharmally scandal or the controversial awarding of the multi-billion-peso contracts to the Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. by the past administration.
“While we made it a little flexible in doing the procurement process, there are still safeguards,” she said, noting that development partners such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and the United Nations (UN) played a part in the crafting of the implementing rules and regulations of RA 12009.
Pangandaman said the drafting of implementing rules and regulations was a meticulous process because of the complexity and variety of the new procurement modalities introduced under the NGPA.
She noted that the major advancement following the signing of RA 12009 is the ongoing digitalization effort within the procurement system.
“For Common-Use Supplies and eventually kahit hindi po common-use, meron na po tayong (even for those that are not common-use, there is) add to cart,” Pangandaman said.
“The PS (Procurement Service)-DBM will make sure na ang papasok do'n sa site na ‘yon ay okay na (that the ones entering that site will negotiate with good manufacturers). So, wala kang problema sa quality ng mga bibili (So, the buyers will have no problem with the quality of what they will procure). At makakapili ka po (And you can choose) based on your budget and needs,” she added.
Pangandaman also emphasized the inclusion of citizen participation in the procurement process, a key component of the Open Government Partnership.
She added that representatives from the private sector who will be chosen by the respective agencies will play a crucial role in guaranteeing the integrity of the procurement process.
The NGPA establishes several innovative procurement approaches to provide greater flexibility to procuring entities, tailored to their specific needs.
These include competitive dialogue, unsolicited offers with bid matching, direct acquisition, direct sales, and direct procurement for science, technology, and innovation.
The methods under the new law are designed to streamline processes and better align with the diverse requirements of various projects.
One of the significant shifts under the new law is the move away from the traditional focus on cost alone. (PNA)
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