Similar to e-commerce players such as Shopee and Lazada, government agencies will soon have their own online shopping platform called "eMarketplace".
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Procurement Service (PS-DBM) announced the upcoming launch of “eMarketplace” which aims to provide reliable procurement of materials for government offices, free from delays and hassles.
In a statement, Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the e-commerce platform forms part of the proposed amendments to Republic Act (RA) 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA).
Pangandaman said the implementation of digital technology in government purchasing can solve issues such as lack of transparency and competition, controversies, political interference, and delays in services and processes.
“There has been a rapid transformation in technology over the past two decades, and the pandemic propelled the urgency for digital transactions in the country,” Pangandaman said.
PS-DBM Executive Director Dennis Santiago said the eMarketplace feature will soon be accessible through the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), allowing reliable suppliers to offer their products for sale.
The eMarketplace seeks to eliminate the lengthy and cumbersome procurement process that has caused delays in the government's delivery of products and services.
However, suppliers will still need to meet specific legal, technical, and financial requirements in order to have their offered goods included in the system.
“We will implement mechanisms to ensure that the products included in the system are of high quality, well-organized, and beneficial,” Santiago said.
“We will work to ensure that the products that enter the system are in good condition and can be utilized by our government offices,” he added.
The Philippine procurement system has been marred by controversies. For this year alone, approximately 25 percent of the national government budget, equivalent to around P1.3 trillion, is allocated for procurement.
“The biggest purchaser [of goods and services] is the government, and 18 to 22 percent of GDP [gross domestic product] is government procurement,” Santiago said. (Gabriell Christel Galang)