By: CARICOM
MRCH 2, 2021
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States will be exposed to further capacity building in the use of online systems for executing procurement when they participate in a virtual training exercise on the Community Public Procurement Notice Board (CPPNB). The session will take place on Friday 26 February 2021 and investigates e-procurement solutions in Member States participating in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
The training is being facilitated by the CARICOM Secretariat with assistance from the European Union 11th EDF Programme. This aspect of the programme focuses on development and implementation of strategies that improve efficiency and transparency in procurement including the CSME Public Procurement Regime. It is in keeping with the decision of CARICOM Heads of Government which “Requested Member States to begin using their National Advertising Portals to advertise Public Procurement opportunities subject to their national laws as soon as possible.”
Barbados and Belize are the only two Member States that have made use of their National Advertising Portal to publish procurement opportunities. The use of the National Advertising Portals would be critical at this time, in light of the COVID 19 pandemic where many public officials are operating remotely away from the office setting.
CARICOM Heads have approved the Community Public Procurement Protocol and five Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines have signed the Protocol and the Declaration of Intent to Provisionally Apply the Protocol. Belize has also ratified the Protocol.
The Community Public Procurement Regime provides a number of social and economic benefits for Member States, including employment, trade in goods and services and access to public work contracts.