Come Saturday, April 1, there will be a soft launch of Government’s Bonfire Procurement System, which will make it easier for suppliers.
Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment, Ryan Straughn, said the old manual system would be turned off from October 1, and the new Bonfire System would allow for seamless submission of documents, and share information in real-time. It will eliminate the need to print multiple copies and submit by a 4:30 p.m. deadline.
Addressing a hybrid vendor sensitisation workshop on the Bonfire system last Friday at the Lloyd Erskine Sandfiord Centre, Minister Straughn emphasised that Government had been repeatedly criticised about the lack of transparency and efficiency regarding its procurement process.
He assured the gathering that Government was committed to fixing these concerns from an administrative stand point, as well as “changing the culture with respect to how we communicate and to give people openness that wasn’t quite there before”.
“It means that you have the opportunity to submit a bid at any time and you don’t have to worry so much about meeting that deadline in a way that you would normally do because you can take your time and prepare your documents properly….
“If any of you have a specific question about a particular area, that question and the answer would be posted to all persons who have expressed an interest to give clarity simultaneously,” Mr. Straughn stated.
The Minister also shared that bidding opportunities within CARICOM would be posted to the portal to give local suppliers maximum opportunities to broaden their business horizons. He disclosed that opportunities on the international markets would come on stream sometime next year.
Mr. Straughn added that Government was committed to transforming the way in which it communicated with the public, adding that it was “government’s job to ensure that we give every possible supplier the opportunity to have access to all of the information in real-time… preparation of the documentation, full information on the scope of works, so that every single person who has an interest, can do so seamlessly”.