Review Of Public Sector Procurement Policies

Date: 15 October 2012

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance: 

Whether the recent review of procurement policies by the public sector will affect the public sector's drive towards Best Sourcing initiatives as tenders/quotations may not then be awarded to the lower/lowest bidder(s).

Reply by DPM and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam:

The review of procurement rules and procedures will not detract from the Best Sourcing initiative that Mr Patrick Tay asked about.
  
The Government procurement system is based on the principles of transparency, open and fair competition, and value for money. Public officers have hence been reminded to evaluate tender/quotation bids on the basis of both quality and price. Value for money is a key objective, and it is not always the case that the supplier offering the cheapest product or service will be awarded the contract.
  
All procurements must nonetheless be guided by a culture of prudence, and be subject to the checks and balances set out in our procurement rules.