Note: Where available, the PDF/Word icon below is provided to view the complete and fully formatted document
Selling smarter to government: Revised Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines released.
Download PDF Media Release The Hon Dr Sharman Stone MP Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration
Selling Smarter to Government: Revised Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines Released
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration, the Hon. Dr Sharman Stone MP, has today released the revised edition of the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines.
These new Guidelines outline a framework that will improve how businesses find out about and compete for Government procurement work. For example, a new feature is the production of annual procurement plans.
“The revised Guidelines to the Australian Government procurement market are the key to the door for huge opportunities for suppliers of everything from computers to cleaning services, from pens to planes.” Dr Stone said. “Last financial year over 186,000 individual contracts worth over $1 7 billion were written for government procurement business.”
Dr Stone said while some special areas of government buying will remain exempt from mandatory procurement procedures, for example, to protect human life, or essential security interests, the revised Commonwealth procurement guidelines will produce:
more open transparent tendering - an increase in the number and scope of requests for supply to the full market
more appropriate timeframes - allowing the market greater time to respond
advanced notice of upcoming opportunities, with Government agencies now to publish an annual procurement plan
greater consistency of processes across Government agencies, simplifying and reducing the cost of tendering.
ensuring small and medium enterprise (SME) development - the Government remains committed to its agencies sourcing at least 10% of their purchases by value from SME’s, although consistently more than 25% of Government procurement is captured by SMEs.
.
“The Guidelines launched today will play a pivotal role in achieving an even more efficient Australian Government procurement market. We aim for best value for buyers and suppliers in an efficient and ethical market.” Dr Stone said.
“The revised Guidelines also conform with Australia’s new government procurement obligations under the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA), which comes into effect on 1 January 2005. The AUSFTA removes statutory trade barriers allowing Australian suppliers to bid for the first time, for a share of the $200 billion US federal government procurement market. “
Tuesday, 7 December 2004 Contacts: Sharman Stone’s office: Andrew Cox - 02 6277 2016 DOFA: Robert Higgins - 02 6215 2823; DOFA Malcolm Grieve - 0412 538 605
Background information to launch of the Revised Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines
Key areas of change
While significant changes to Government procurement policy are represented in these Guidelines, the most significant since 1998, the core principle of value for money will remain. The Guidelines articulate new prescriptions for procurement processes impacting on both procuring agencies and industry suppliers. The changes reflect the following broad objectives:
. Enhanced consistency of procurement practices across Australian Government agencies. m Increased certainty and access for our competitive small and medium enterprises. . Increased open competition for Government business opportunities. . Agencies supported to act in a manner consistent with the Australian Government’s international agreements. International obligations “The Australian Government has always been committed to the primary objectives of flexible, transparent and fair Government procurement practices,” Dr Stone said, “which enable agencies to manage public resources efficiently, effectively and ethically when undertaking procurement.” Non-discrimination in procurement is a key focus of the AUSFTA that was negotiated between the two countries and ratified in the United States and Australian Parliaments earlier this year. The AUSTFA is expected to deliver substantial opportunities for Au st ra I ia n i nd u st ry . The AUSFTA represents an opportunity to extend and intensify Australia’s trade relationship with the United States, the world’s largest and most dynamic economy and largest merchandise and services exporter and importer, by providing bilateral access to the significant Government procurement markets that exist in both countries. Summary These guidelines lead the way in Government procurement good practice. They also reflect the Government’s commitment to the spirit and undertakings of our international obligations and formalise many of the underlying approaches that have previously been part of the Commonwealth procurement policy framework. The guidelines are available at: www.finance.gov.au Austender, where publicly available business opportunities are notified, is available at www. tenders.gov. au Tuesday, 7 December 2004 Contacts: Sharman Stone’s office: Andrew Cox - 02 6277 2016 DOFA: Robert Higgins - 02 621 5 2823; DOFA Malcolm Grieve - 041 2 538 605
