Fast tracking GPRA implementation . . .

With the issuance by the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) of the Generic Procurement Manuals (GPM) and the expected completion of the trainings by year-end, we expect a smooth sailing roll-out of the GPM.

Yet another major development that will ensure the effective implementation of the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) - that is, to make procurement rules more responsive and realistic to the situations obtaining in the different government procurement levels - was the issuance by the Office of the President of a Memorandum dated 23 August 2006, "Authorizing the GPPB to Promulgate Rules and Regulations in Carrying out the Provisions of RA 9184", without need of Presidential approval.

It seems the Memorandum has already bore positive fruit with the issuance by the GPPB of three resolutions:

* Resolution No. 04-2006 - added another type of Negotiated Procurement (Item h,
Section 53 of IRR-A where the ABC is P50,000 and below;

* Resolution No. 07-2000 - substituting the eligibility requirement of prospective
bidder on the "single completed similar contract with value of at least 50% of
the ABC, subject to certain conditions; and

* Resolution No. 14-2006 - shortening the period of the different prescribed steps
in the bidding process, among them the advertisement/posting for only seven
calendar days from original period of 14 calendar days

Said resolutions can be downloaded from the GPPB website. We expect that more Amendments or refinements to the procurement rules will be issued in the future.