ASEAN urged to ease procurement

THE Philippine Department of Budget and Management (DBM) urged Southeast Asian governments to simplify procurement procedures and expand access to government contracts for smaller businesses to improve public services and attract investments.

DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert C. de Leon proposed stronger regional cooperation on digital procurement, greater participation by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and training for procurement professionals.

“We should never have to choose between doing things quickly and doing things correctly. Our people deserve both,” he said at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) dialogue on Wednesday.

Mr. de Leon urged participating institutions to identify potential partners, areas for joint work, and concrete next steps following the dialogue.

“Let us move from sharing good practices to putting good practices into practice,” he said.

United Nations Development Programme Philippines Resident Representative Christophe Bahuet said procurement savings could free up resources for development priorities without raising taxes or increasing government borrowing. — Justine Irish D. Tabile