1. Vietnam Set to Purchase US F-16s
Vietnam is poised to procure new US fighter jets. Defense News reports that with “the lifting of the US arms embargo to Vietnam, a US defense industry source indicates Hanoi is seeking to improve its air defense and maritime security capabilities with the procurement of F-16 fighter aircraft from the US”. This reflects an expansion of military procurement beyond the communist regime’s traditional Russian and Eastern Block sources to other former Cold War rivals including the US.
2. Health Care Needs Electronic Record Systems
A Huffington Post article explains how the procurement of electronic health record systems is reaching a critical condition as these systems become more complicated to procure. David B. Black states that, “Computers and software get faster and less expensive at a dramatic rate. Healthcare systems implementing computers and software gets slower and more expensive at a dramatic rate. Why is buying the thing getting so much worse at the same time as the thing being bought is getting so much better?” The article explains how these large technology projects are prone to massive delays and cost overruns and the critical impact that this is having on health care services.
3. India Revs Up Its Reverse Auction Engines
The Financial Express reports that India’s Power Ministry recently used an electronic bidding process to secure better pricing for the supply of short-term power. As the report states, “Power Secretary P K Pujari said the process resulted in substantial savings as prices discovered through e-bidding are significantly lower than prices at which power was procured during the similar period in the last year.” The article also notes that the procurement was part of an electronic tendering initiative launched by India’s Power Ministry in April of 2016.
4. Bid Rigging Now a Criminal Offence in Trinidad
Newsday reports that recent statutory amendments have made bid rigging a criminal offence in Trinidad and Tobago. As the story states, “the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Amendment) Bill, 2015, to amend a 2015 Act despite a stormy sitting including its committee stage. Finance Minister, Colm Imbert, in his wind-up, declared that under the bill, bid-rigging is now a crime in TT.” Trinidad’s new statutory framework, which has been in development for several years, reflects a broader trend towards strengthening procurement governance across the Caribbean.
5. EU Pressures Japan to Open its Municipal Procurement
The Japan Times reports that the EU is pressuring Japan to open up its municipal procurement as part of ongoing trade talks. As the article states, “The European Union has asked Japan to open up its market for goods and services procurement in municipalities with a population of 100,000 or more as the two economic powers work toward signing a free trade agreement.” However, the story also states that Japan has rejected the request since compliance would require 790 Japanese municipalities to change their procurement practices.
6. Kenyan Officials Forced to Testify Over Canadian Election Kit Controversy
A story in the Citizen reports that Kenyan government officials were called to testify before elected officials over alleged procurement irregularities involving the purchase of biometric voter registration kits from the Canadian government. As the report states, “3.9 billion shillings was lost in the government-to-government procurement deal for the BVR kits with Canada, after the commission allegedly bungled the open tendering process.” The story also notes that the kits failed to work during the controversial 2013 national election.
7. Ireland Aligns Procurement Regulations to EU Standards
Ireland recently overhauled its procurement regulations to align with the 2014 European Directive. As the Eversheds story states, “The European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016 implement the Public Sector Directive 2014/24/EU.” The report notes that the new rules come into effect for any procurements initiated after April 18, 2016.
8. Emergency Call Centre IT Procurement Delayed as Call Centers Closing
The Press and Journal reports that the procurement for new centralized emergency call centre IT systems was recently cancelled while existing local call centres in Aberdeen and Inverness are in the process of being wound down. The story notes increasing concerns that emergency calls may fall through the cracks in the delayed system, “sparking fears it may not be in place before the two call centres close this year.” As the report states, the Scottish government responded to these concerns by announcing that the closure of local centres would be put on hold until the new system was ready.
9. UK Uses Technology to Open Competition for Small Business
A report in V3 notes how the UK Cabinet Office and Government Digital Service (DGS) is leveraging technology to make government procurement opportunities more accessible to small suppliers. As the story states, “The new framework enables suppliers to bid for contracts, which the GDS said will make it “easier than ever” to work with a wide range of companies, including new firms.” The report notes that over a quarter of government business goes to small businesses and that the government aims to increase that percentage to support a “thriving economy.”
10. US Doubles Down on Russian Made Rockets
As reported in Sputniknews, the US Congress recently voted to buy more Russian space rockets in support of the US space program. As the story states, “The United States has been relying on Russia-made RD-180 rocket engines to put its national security satellites into orbit, despite efforts to reduce dependence on Russian technology in the use of launch vehicles.” The report also notes that notwithstanding a ban against Russian Rockets passed in 2014, “Congress was forced to lift the measure to ensure the United States maintained access to space.”
