The Expenditure and Project Efficiency Authority has rolled out the “Times Have Changed campaign” towards the comprehensive transformation in government procurement. This initiative is strategically geared to provide insights into the streamlined government approach to procurement, harnessing the power of unified procurement framework agreements
to drive efficiency. These agreements are designed to bolster the quality of products and services, standardize pricing and specifications, and optimize the allocation of government funds. They also boost the efficiency of government expenditure, expedite procurement through automation, and simplify contracting and purchasing via Etimad e-marketplace.
Within this streamlined procurement approach, the competent authority for unified procurement employs framework agreements to formalize contracts on behalf of government entities. This collaborative effort entails partnering with one or more private sector suppliers and manufacturers to offer a wide range of services and products, fostering diversity in the offering, and ensuring highest quality.
These unified procurement framework agreements present a groundbreaking opportunity that unlocks marketing potential for small and medium-sized enterprises. Their advantages for the private sector are numerous, encompassing an extended market reach that provides access to all government entities via an electronic marketplace, said the authority in a press release. This innovative approach streamlines processes by eliminating the necessity for individual price quotations for
each product or service. Moreover, these agreements underscore a commitment to support local products, guaranteeing equal opportunities and transparency for private sector participation in government procurement.
The direct connection between unified procurement framework agreements and the Etimad e-marketplace empowers government entities to assess a wide range of products and select the most competitive prices and specifications offered within the established framework agreements based on their requirements. This transformation has yielded an impressive 90% reduction in the process time for purchase orders compared to figures from 2021 and establishing new time records in request initiation to approval from 185 days to just five.
Source: Saudi Press Agency