Procurement system to be further strengthened

SINGAPORE — Procurement capabilities in the public sector will be levelled up, with the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Public Service Division working together to develop a Procurement Specialist Track to boost officers’ discernment when evaluating bids.

The track will “professionalise” procurement in the public sector by giving officers more recognition and opportunities to develop deep skills and knowledge, said Minister of State (Finance) Josephine Teo yesterday.

The uneven standards among over 2,000 public service officers who do procurement is “unsatisfactory”, she added. The MOF is also working with other agencies to identify opportunities to cluster procurement functions, so “capabilities are more centralised and there are more career options for procurement officers”, she said.

Measures have also been introduced to reinforce accountability and responsibility of supervisors, said Mrs Teo at the MOF’s Committee of Supply debate. Complaints about procurement practices are brought to the attention of the Permanent Secretary or chief executive in charge and investigated. The MOF shares audit findings on procurement lapses and pitfalls with the public sector’s directors of finance at management forums. Officers approving procurements are also given checklists on what to look out for, she said.

In recent years, several high-profile cases, such as the purchase of 26 Brompton bicycles by the National Parks Board, have cast the spotlight on public sector procurement practices.

Yesterday, Tampines GRC Member of Parliament Baey Yam Keng also questioned if outsourcing of some services by public agencies has led to reduced accountability.

He described a fatal accident in Tampines on Chinese New Year eve, where the victim’s family’s request to put up a signboard appealing for witnesses was delayed as the contractor had already begun its festive break.

Mrs Teo said government agencies are expected to maintain high service standards and be “fully accountable” for delivery of functions, be they performed in-house or outsourced. Giving an update on the Best Sourcing Initiative, Mrs Teo said that from next month, the Government will only procure security services from agencies graded well by the police.

Similarly, the Government will, from next month, only engage cleaning companies accredited under the National Environment Agency’s Enhanced Clean Mark Accreditation Scheme for new cleaning contracts.

NEO CHAI CHIN