Equal Opportunity For Local And Foreign Suppliers In Government Tenders

Date: 9 April 2012

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance:

How Government procurement guidelines ensure that neither local nor foreign suppliers are favoured during invitation, assessment and award of tenders.

Reply by DPM and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam:

1. Singapore is a signatory to the World Trade Organisation’s Agreement on Government Procurement or GPA. Our obligations both under the GPA and our Free Trade Agreements require that local and foreign suppliers be given equal opportunity to participate in Government tenders. The Government’s procurement rules are aligned with Singapore’s international obligations. All Ministries, Organs of State and Statutory Boards are required to adhere to them.

2. The Government’s procurement rules also require that every tender be assessed fairly and awarded to the proposal that meets the tender requirements and gives the best value-for-money, based on both price and non-price considerations. There should be no discrimination in favour of or against foreign suppliers.